Romance at Shiz
by Annibelle White
Summary: Elphaba and Fiyero liked each other even when they were at Shiz. Glinda sees this and gets it in her head to do something about it, and history is changed for good. Pairing: Fiyeraba
1. Chapter 1: BLUE diamonds?

Glinda could be ditzy at times, but she knew when someone liked someone else. The way Elphaba stared at the new boy during life sciences was very obvious and she didn't see why no one else had figured it out. Enough people liked Glinda that she found it irritating, but perhaps Elphaba had never known the flattering feeling of being adored. Perhaps? No, she was sure Elphaba had never known that feeling. So she decided to do something about it. But what could she do? She wasn't particularly close with the Vinkus boy, Fiyero, but Boq was, and Boq would do anything she asked. First, though, she had to get Elphaba to admit to her crush on Fiyero, and that would be the most difficult part.

One night, Elphaba was sitting at her desk studying and Glinda sat at her vanity, staring at herself idly, when she decided it was a good time to bring up the subject of boys.

"You silly prissy girls and your obsessions with boys," Elphaba mocked, "What, may I ask, is so wonderful about them?"

"Elphie, you can't be telling me you've never liked a boy." Carefully, she snuck and looked over Elphaba's shoulder. All Elphaba had been doing was drawing diamonds in blue ink.

She stuck her nose in the air. "I haven't."

"Come on, Elphie! You have to have had a crush on someone."

"How? How can I have a crush on a boy when most of them don't talk to me?"

"Some of them do. Boq, Avaric, Fiyero, Crope and Tibbett all talk to you."

"First of all, Crope and Tibbett are most definitely not interested in _any_ girl for any reason other than borrowing their clothes. Second of all, Avaric makes _fun_ of me. And Boq, well, he likes you, and he's Boq, that'd just be wrong."

"What about Fiyero?" She was going to sneak that out of Elphaba's notebook, those diamonds, to corner her if it got that far later.

"He doesn't say much."

"That doesn't mean he's not a good person for you." Glinda argued.

Elphaba stood up and gathered her books. "I think I'll go to the library."

"Elphaba!"

She was gone.

Well, she wouldn't get away that easily. Glinda was determined to prove, at least to herself and to Elphaba, that Elphaba liked Fiyero. So, when they were all at the café later that week, Glinda said, "Who wants to play a nice round of ERS? There are two people per team, except for a group of three, in our case. Let me set this up." She pretended to think. "Avaric and Pfanee. Boq and I. Crope, Tibbett and Shen-Shen. Oh, and… Elphaba and Fiyero."

Elphaba shot Glinda a look and almost got out of her seat, but Fiyero smiled lightly at her and she stayed. "Fine, then Glinda. Do you have the cards?"

"Right here." She'd been plotting this for a day or two. "Go off and meet with your partners and come up with a code." Glinda sighed and pretended to listen to Boq while she really watched Elphaba and Fiyero.

Neither one of them said anything for a moment. Elphaba broke the silence and said, "So, I'm sorry you're stuck with me."

"Why?" Fiyero asked innocently. "You should feel bad about being stuck with me. I'm not very familiar with this game. We're probably going to lose."

"That doesn't matter, anyway. Here, let me explain." She began a long explanation using many hand gestures, acting as if the cards were on the table. Suddenly she realized she was falling right into Glinda's trap. But he was looking at her without judgment in his eyes and she wasn't used to that. It unnerved her, actually.

He smiled at her again. "That makes a little more sense. Thanks. And I've got an idea."

Glinda watched Fiyero and Elphaba talking as she nodded obliviously at what Boq was saying. Elphaba definitely had a thing for Fiyero. There was no mistaking that. She was never that nice to _anyone_. "All right, let's play this game!"

Fiyero and Elphaba snuck glances at each other from behind their cards during all three rounds of the game and Glinda was sure to make note of it. They had some sort of secret between them, and it wasn't just their code that was between them, though they won every round.

"Nice job! And you said we were going to lose." Elphaba smiled at him.

"We would have, too. But you explained it really, really well." He cocked his head at her. "What?"

She'd been staring again. "Nothing. Nothing." Damn those diamonds.

"Hey, Elphaba!" Glinda called, remembering the doodles all over Elphaba's life sciences notes. "What's your favorite shape?"

Still staring at Fiyero a little, she replied, "Diamonds." She realized what she'd said and her cheeks went scarlet. Glinda had known what she was staring at… The diamonds on Fiyero's face and neck. There was no way she was going to let Glinda get away with this. Angrily, she slid out of the booth in which half of them were sitting and stormed out of the café.

"Elphaba!"

She'd expected Glinda to follow her, but she hadn't. "Look, I'm sorry, I just… I… I didn't mean to…"

"To what?" Fiyero stood looking at her with nothing more than confusion. He hadn't understood what Glinda had done to her.

She sighed in relief. "Walk out of there like that. Glinda can be a bitch sometimes, that's all."

"What did she say?"

"Just something."

"Are you all right?"

"Angry, but I'm not upset."

"All right. Come back, then."

He wanted her to come back in? Glinda must've put him up to this. "No thank you. I'd better be going back to my dorm."

"If you insist." He turned around.

"Fiyero, I…"

"What?"

Rain started to fall and she ran back to the porch of the café, where he'd been standing. "I don't do well in rain."

"Did you get wet?" He asked, concerned.

"Just a little. I'll be fine." She realized she'd left her cloak inside and she shivered. "Damn. My cloak's inside. I will not go in there and face that bitch again right now."

Fiyero shrugged off his jacket. "Here."

"No," she waved it away. "You'll get cold."

"I'm used to this sort of weather. I don't even feel cold very often anymore." He held the coat out to her.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure." He sat down on the bench outside of the café, his eyes imploring her to sit next to him.

Feeling absurd, she held his jacket around her and sat down on the bench, glad for the porch, and watched the rain. "I hate water."

"How do you survive?"

"It just can't touch my skin. I can drink liquid, though I'd rather drink something other than pure water, just in case. I have to keep clean using oil, and even that stings." She blushed, realizing that what she'd said was a bit intimate, but he didn't seem to care. "Anyway, you can go back inside, if you want. You don't have to sit out here with me."

"I know that. But I like sitting here with you. I mean, I like everyone else inside, but sometimes with too many people, it just gets awkward. And I know Avaric makes fun of me."

"I hate him. He's so vain, you know?"

He nodded. "He doesn't like people who are different."

"Like me."

"Me, too." He reminded her. "It's so odd being around everyone. They don't mean to act different towards me because of my skin, but they'll stare and be affected by it, I can tell."

She looked at him sympathetically. "You've never been stared at like that before, have you?"

"All of my life until now I've been among others who look similar, so no one stared because of my skin, they might've stared, but only because of my being a prince."

"It's hard to get used to being stared at, isn't it?"

"I expected it a bit, I guess. But you, everyone has always stared at you, haven't they?"

"There are no others like me. I'm not even part elfish. People have never seen a regular sized, crooked nosed green person who's allergic to water before." Elphaba shrugged, staring at her hands. "You have many others like you in all of your otherness, your…" she paused, realizing she'd almost said beauty, "different but not necessarily bad skin. There's no one to share in my ugliness."

"Do you really think you're ugly?"

"Do I have the choice to think otherwise? Everyone else thinks so."

"Not everyone."

She looked at him and then looked away. All at once she got up and tossed him his coat. "I'd better go in and get my cloak. I have to go." Before he could say goodbye, she was back inside. He hadn't even gotten to the table when she'd left the building again.

"What was that about?" Glinda asked politely, batting her eyelashes.

"I don't know. We were talking and then she just ran off."

"What were you talking about?"

"We're both kind of outsiders because of skin color. So we were talking about that and then she said something about everyone thinking that she's ugly and I told her that not everyone felt that way and then she ran off."

Glinda shook her head. "I don't know what is wrong with Elphie." Quietly, she said to Boq, "Can you do me a favor?"

"Of course."

"Find out if Fiyero likes anyone. I'm not asking for me, I promise."

"All right, then. I'll see what I can do."

When Glinda reentered their dorm room she looked at Elphaba and said, "Diamonds?"

"Leave me alone!" Elphaba snapped, slamming her books shut.

Glinda grabbed the papers she'd torn from Elphaba's notebook out from beneath her pillows. "_Blue_ diamonds, huh, Elphie?"

"Where'd you…? You… you've been going through my things! How dare you!"

"So you admit that you've been doodling _blue diamonds_ all over your notes, especially in life sciences?"

"I… I… well, I… oh, damn you to hell!"

"Why did you run away from him, Elphaba?"

"Run away from who?"

"Fiyero."

"Why does it matter to you?"

"He looked a little hurt seeing you run off, that's all."

"It was probably more of a relief than a hurt."

"I don't think so."

"It doesn't matter."

"Don't you like him, Elphie?"

"He's a nice person. But so are a lot of people."

"I meant, do you have a crush on him? Come on, just admit it."

"No!"

Glinda sighed. "Listen, Elphie, do you ever want to have love in your life?"

"No."

"You never want to have sex? To be kissed?"

"I've resigned myself to the fact that it'll never happen for me." Elphaba said. "I'm going to die a virginal old maid."

"Don't you want to know what it feels like, Elphaba? Don't you want to know what it is that makes so many people love? Don't you want to know if sex is any good or if it's all just a myth?"

"I really don't care."

"You do care. If you had the choice of not being loved at all or being loved by the person you love, you would choose the second, right?"

"No. That's a fantasy. I don't have fantasies. They're not real. I'm not going to fool myself and tell myself that things like that are worthwhile in dreaming about when they'll never happen."

"What if Fiyero liked you, Elphaba?"

"I'm tired of all of these impossible hypothetical situations. Just leave it alone."

Glinda slammed down the papers of blue diamonds on the desk in front of Elphaba. "You can't just pretend you don't feel!"

"I'm not pretending that much. I'm saying I don't care about love."

"Elphie…"

"No! He will never like me, or love me, and I don't want to waste my time pretending that he does."

"But you do waste your time, don't you? You wish he did, don't you?"

"Yes!" She yelled. "Fine! Just leave it alone!" Elphaba went into the bathroom and changed for bed. Before she fell asleep, she picked up the scattered drawings of blue diamonds and smoothed them out. After she put them neatly in a pile in a drawer, she closed the drawer and went to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Do you fancy anyone?

Elphaba gave Glinda the silent treatment for days, which Glinda could endure. After all, Elphie talked too much at times anyway. Impatiently, Glinda waited for a report from Boq about Fiyero's love interests. Boq couldn't find anything at first, but being as loyal as he was, came up with something after a few weeks.

"Avaric and I got his roomie to let us into his room while he was out. At first we were sure there was nothing there to find, but there were a bunch of scrunched up papers in the garbage bin that looked like the beginning of a note to someone. Here's one of them." Boq handed Glinda the note proudly.

_Hey, look, I know what I said the other day must've bothered you, but I didn't mean to upset you. I just didn't want to hear you talk that way about yourself when it isn't true. Forget about Avaric and whoever else teases you, I think you're beautiful… _

_Oh damn it! This isn't going to get me anywhere. She'd hate me if I said this, especially the part about thinking she's beautiful. She got upset with me for telling her an insult she'd heard wasn't true, a compliment surely wouldn't get me anywhere._

Glinda looked at Boq. "Perfect!" She hugged him. "Now, tell me, do you have any idea who he's writing to?"

"No." Boq shook his head, feeling like a failure.

"Good."

Glinda could be confusing sometimes. Looking back at her, he said, "Why?"

"Oh," she smiled, "no reason."

So now she just had to get them together. She wondered if Fiyero really did find Elphaba beautiful. It's not that Elphaba was ugly, per se, but you had to look at her differently in order to see something pretty. Whether or not Fiyero thought Elphaba was beautiful, she'd get them together. Elphaba deserved a chance, too.

"Elphaba?" She asked one night as they were getting ready to go to sleep. Elphaba simply ignored her. "Oh, Elphie, come on."

"What do you want?" Elphaba said angrily.

"Why don't you tell Fiyero how you feel?"

"I didn't think you were this stupid, Glinda. Why? Because I'll make a fool out of myself. Why? Because he doesn't like me. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"But he likes you! He does!"

Elphaba went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. "And Pigs can fly." She brushed forcefully for two minutes before spitting.

"Maybe they can. But wouldn't you want to have a chance with him? Don't you want someone to love you? I mean, Elphaba, he thinks you're beautiful."

She spat into the sink and came back into the room. "He does not think I'm beautiful. He told me that I'm not ugly, which was more of an attempt to comfort me than to compliment me."

"How do you know?"

"I'm not answering that."

"What if he said he liked you?"

"I'd think he was insane and tell someone to take him to the doctor. Glinda, boys don't like me. They just don't." Elphaba shook her head and got into bed. "Now, let me go to sleep. I don't feeling like dreaming of things that will never happen, so if you'd please let the subject drop and we can talk about politics, that'd be nice."

Glinda sighed and stopped talking. It looked like Fiyero would have to be the one to make the first move. So Glinda had yet another conversation with Boq.

"If Fiyero liked someone, do you think he'd have the nerve to ask her out?"

Boq laughed. "He's too shy. I don't know if he'd ask even if the girl liked him."

"All right. I'm going to tell you something and you can't tell anyone else. Promise?"

"Of course."

"That note you found? Fiyero was writing it to Elphie."

"_What?_"

"Yup. And better yet, Elphie's got this monster crush on him, and she admitted it! It took her a long time to admit it, but she did. I really want to set them up. Do you think there's anything you can say to Fiyero that would get him to ask, or at least admit how he feels about her to her?"

Boq blinked, comprehending slowly. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you so much, Boq! I will not forget this." She smiled at him sweetly.

"She'd better not." He muttered as he walked away. Upstairs, he knocked on Fiyero's door. His roomie answered. "Hey, is Fiyero around?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Fiyero!"

The Vinkus prince came wandering into the hallway lazily. "Yeah?"

"What's up?" Boq asked casually.

He shrugged. "I just finished my life sciences homework. If you haven't started, you might want to get started; it took forever."

"I'm done, too. Anyway, I need some help."

"No problem. What is it?"

"Well, I need to find a good way to ask Miss Glinda out… Avaric is no gentleman and I don't want to ask him. Crope and Tibbett aren't exactly into women, I don't think, and so, yeah. Do you have a girlfriend back home or anything, by the way?"

"Not exactly." Fiyero muttered.

"You ever had a girlfriend?"

"No."

"Oh. Same. But Miss Glinda is so… wonderful. You know what I mean? Do you have any particular fancy of any girl at Shiz? Don't be afraid if it's Miss Glinda, I couldn't blame you."

"No, it's not Miss Glinda."

"But you do fancy a girl?"

"You could put it that way."

"Would you hate me if I asked who?"

"I don't mind. But you'd laugh if you knew."

"What makes you think that?"

"Not many people are very accepting of her."

So Glinda had been right. Elphie and Fiyero? Who'd have guessed? What an odd pairing. But that would only make sense, though, wouldn't it? "It's all right. I won't laugh. I promise. You can tell me."

"I don't know…"

"Please? Maybe we can help each other out. You can help me figure out what to say to Miss Glinda and I can help you find out if the girl you fancy fancies you, or anything."

Fiyero sighed. "Promise?"

"Yes."

"Well, I know this is odd, but she's just so… different, and I find that endearing in some way. And she's so intriguing. It's, well, um, it's Elphaba."

Boq feigned surprise. "Elphie? Really?" He smiled comfortingly at Fiyero. "That would be interesting. Especially because, well, oh, maybe I shouldn't say anything."

"What?"

"I don't know if anyone would want me saying this."

"Please tell me."

"Well, both Miss Glinda and I have suspected that Elphie has feelings for you. She's always looking at you."

"She ran out on me the other day."

"Why?"

Fiyero explained (as if Boq hadn't already known).

"It's probably because she's… not used to anyone complimenting her or anything. It might make her uncomfortable."

Fiyero nodded. "That's very possible."

"You should ask her to dinner or something! Or the winter formal… Well, maybe not. I can't see Elphaba going to a dance. But you should ask her out to a play or concert or dinner. I mean, what harm could it cause?"

"Ha! She could think I'm joking and get offended and she can be vicious, you know." He said, somewhat fondly.

"You just have to find the right way to ask her."

"Weren't we talking about Miss Glinda and you?"

"What? Oh yeah! Never mind that. I figured something out. Now the important thing is you and Elphie."

"I don't think I should ask her."

"But if you don't, you'll be all alone and so will she. Avaric is thinking of going with Pfanee and Crope and Tibbett are most definitely having some sort of secret love relationship. Do you want to be left out? I mean, if I manage to win over Miss Glinda, then the only people in our circle of friends who wouldn't have paired off would be you, Elphaba and Shen-Shen. And Shen-Shen would surely go after you if you were the only one left. I don't think you'd want that, either."

"Well, no, but…"

"So ask her!"

"I'll think about it. As you said, I'd have to find the right way to ask."

"Get her alone, first of all. She probably wouldn't like it in public." Boq thought for a few moments. "I could ask Miss Glinda for help, if you want."

"If you get the chance, go ahead."

"Oh, I will, believe me."

Several hours later, Boq met Glinda in the garden near her dormitory. She asked, "What did he say?"

"He's afraid she'll kill him if he asks her."

Glinda giggled. "He's right."

"So I told him he'd just have to ask her the proper way. Could you find out what that way is?"

"No. She already thinks I'm putting him up to things. With this, we're just going to have to use intuition."

"How?"

"Well," she smiled, "I do have an idea. He should probably just come right out and ask her. She won't like anything fancy or romantic."

"How should he word it, though?"

"That's up to him. We need to give them a chance to be alone, though. I guess next time we're at the café, I should upset her again."

"That's very nice of you."

"Well, do you have any brilliant ideas?"

"Let's have another game of ERS."

Glinda kissed Boq lightly on the cheek. "You're a genius."

At dinner later that week (after Boq had talked to Fiyero some more), Glinda waited until everyone had finished eating and suggested another couple of rounds of ERS. "Who votes same partners as last time?"

Elphaba pretended not to be listening. Not counting Elphaba, Shen-Shen was the only one who disagreed with having the same partners as the time before. Glinda understood, but this was not for Shen-Shen, this was about Elphie.

"All right, then. Same partners it is!" Glinda grinned at Boq, who she'd already discussed the code with, and waved her wand subtly, curious to hear what Fiyero and Elphaba were saying. She noted that Elphaba didn't move; Fiyero got up and walked over to her.

"Hey."

"Oh, hi!" She pretended to snap out of her non-existent stupor. "We're playing ERS again? I'm so tired of this game. And poor Shen-Shen. You know, I think I'll sit out this round. Why don't you partner up with her?"

"No. I like having you as my partner. We do really well together."

She turned greener in her cheeks. "Well, I… I guess."

"Good." He smiled at her. "Why don't we just use the same code as last time? No one figured it out."

"Sure."

Everyone else was still working things out. "So, Elphaba…"

"Yes?"

Glinda squealed on the other side of the table. She knew this was it. Elphaba threw her a look. But Glinda couldn't help but giggle. "He's going to ask," she whispered to Boq.

Fiyero took a deep breath and asked, "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to have dinner with me – just me – tomorrow night?"

Elphaba froze for a moment, staring at him. "What?"

"Well, I mean, if tomorrow doesn't work, that's fine. But I-I just wanted to know if you'd g-g-go out with me sometime? To dinner or something…" He was stuttering.

"What do you mean 'go out'?" She asked quietly.

"I mean, like, on a date." He almost choked on his own words.

A small smile crept into her face. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Then, well, I… sure." Her cheeks could've turned purple; there was so much blood rushing behind them.

"I'll meet you outside your building at six, then?"

"All right."

"All right." He paused, feeling awkward. "Let's go win a few more rounds of ERS, Elphie."

He hadn't called her Elphie before. She smiled and said, "Yeah. Let's do that."


	3. Chapter 3: Dates and Interrogations

The next night, it was five thirty and Elphaba was looking at herself in the mirror, suddenly feeling pathetic. What was she doing, anyway? He didn't like her; he couldn't. There must be some ulterior motive in his asking her out.

"What are you doing, Elphie?"

"Glinda! I… oh, nothing."

"You look nice tonight. Are you doing something special?"

"No."

"You're not fooling me, Elphie. Tell me, where are you going?"

"Dinner, that's all."

"Don't you normally eat in the cafeteria with Nanny and Nessa on Saturday nights?"

"Yes, but my plans changed this week."

"Who are you going to dinner with? And where?"

"I don't know where."

"Who's the boy, Elphie?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know how girls are about boys. Tell me, who is it?"

"No one special."

"Then why are you so concerned with how you look?" Glinda smiled. "You've never cared before."

"Well, I just don't want to look like I don't care."

"So it is someone special."

"It's no one."

"Right. Just tell me, Elphie!"

"Fine. If you must know, Fiyero asked me to have dinner with him tonight."

"Like a date?"

"I guess so," Elphaba shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.

Glinda, obviously pretending astonishment, said, "I told you so! I knew he liked you!"

"He has to have some other reason for asking me." Elphaba said, still looking in the mirror, feeling vain and foolish. "I just can't figure out what it is."

"Oh, Elphie, you're going to spoil a wonderful night if you have that attitude about it." Glinda scolded. "Now, you go and have a good time and stop suspecting him of having other reasons."

Giving Glinda one last glance, she headed out the door, "I'll try."

"I'll be awake when you get back, so you better have details for me!" She called after her.

Elphaba exited the building hurriedly, worried that Glinda might get it in her head to follow her. She had no sooner opened the door than she saw Fiyero standing near a tree in the courtyard. "Hi," she said, smiling.

"Hey."

"Look, I've already eaten, sorry. Maybe we could do something else?"

"Actually, I was thinking we'd go see a show or something and then get ice cream at the Wizardly Creamery over in the Ozma Plaza."

"All right."

Glinda watched from her window, smiling. Neither one of them was _too_ shy and it looked like they'd have a good time. Lazily, she started a bath and relaxed in the tub, setting the alarm to wake her at ten in case she should fall asleep. "Good luck, Elphie."

"You know, you really didn't have to pay for my ticket, Fiyero. I have my own money." Elphaba said as they sat down.

"I know that. But I asked you here and therefore I pay. That's all there is to it."

Elphaba wasn't one to let anyone do anything for her. "I don't think you - "

"No. Don't argue." He cut her off. "Would you just calm down and enjoy the show, Elphie?"

She rolled her eyes. "If I have to."

He laughed. "Good."

She had no idea what the show was about and it didn't get any clearer for her during the first act. Maybe that was because she was staring at Fiyero out of the corner of her eye. It got to the point where she wanted to see how the diamonds continued down his chest – if they did. His skin was beautiful, even in the darkness of the theatre. The diamonds almost glowed.

Somewhere in the middle of the first act, her hand on her armrest, his on his armrest, she thought she felt his hand twitch just a little. When she looked at him, he was still watching the play. _Well, this is awkward enough_. She thought to herself.

When it reached the short break between the two acts, she decided on staying in her seat; she felt no need to get up. Fiyero looked at her and smiled lightly. She swore she could feel her heart melt.

"What do you think so far?"

"Interesting," she said. _Yeah, right. The only thing I'm finding interesting is tracing that pattern of diamonds with my eyes…_

"Look, I wanted to tell you that…" The lights began dimming again and he cut himself off and they went back to watching the show.

Again, she was sure his hand moved towards hers just a little, but she was too disbelieving of herself and she didn't acknowledge it. However, the next time he moved, he brushed her finger and it sent shivers down her spine, just that simple touch. She focused on their hands instead of the show, realizing how, slowly, his hand shifted so it was partially over hers. By then she was tingling with some sort of emotion, though she wasn't sure what it was.

In the last ten minutes of the play, he slid his hand over hers completely and she tried not to flinch or pull away in panic as she normally would. She turned her hand over beneath his and he intertwined her fingers with his. Though he still wasn't looking at her, a smile had crept into his face, as it had into hers.

They left the theatre holding hands and headed towards the creamery. He insisted again on paying for both of their ice cream and she shook her head, but to no avail. She licked her ice cream, barely able to look at him, her cheeks dark. When he offered to walk her back to her building, she agreed.

"We should do this again sometime," he suggested.

"I'd like that."

"How about next week?"

"Sounds good to me." She smiled at him.

Her hand still in his, he moved to kiss her and she backed away, uneasy and alarmed. He fumbled for an apology. "Sorry, I…"

"No, I'm sorry." She said. "I… not used to… just… never mind. I'll see you in class. Goodnight." And she dashed up the stairs and into her dorm room without another word.

He watched her go and sighed. "Goodnight."

Glinda heard Elphaba get in and was on her in an instant. "How'd it go? Tell me, I'm dying!"

"It went fine." Elphaba shrugged off her cloak, hung it up and began rummaging through her drawers for a nightgown.

"Details, Elphie."

"What do you want to know?"

"What did you do?"

"We saw some play and had ice cream."

"Did you pay for your own ticket?"

"He wouldn't let me."

"Good. Elphie, how is it that you end up getting the gentleman? No boy _ever_ pays for me."

"Boq would."

"Oh, leave that alone. Now, tell me, how was the play?"

"Okay, I guess."

"You guess?" Glinda was bouncing up and down excitedly in her bed.

"I wasn't paying attention. It was hard to follow."

"If you weren't paying attention, what _were_ you doing?"

"Spacing out. What else?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe something else."

Elphaba pulled on her nightgown and gave Glinda a look. "Me? Not in a million years."

"Maybe less than that, Elphie. So, did you guys talk a lot?"

"How could we? We were watching a play, Glinda."

"After? When you got ice cream?"

"I guess."

"He walked you home, right?"

"Why do I get the feeling you don't really need to be asking?"

"Because I was watching from the window, except I didn't see much because of that damn tree right there." Glinda gestured out the window, her blonde curls bouncing and swaying.

"Why are you interrogating me, then?"

"Because there's a lot I don't know! He was polite the whole time, right?"

"Of course. You know how he is."

"Was he quiet?"

"We both talked for an equal amount of time."

"Are you going to go out again?"

"I think so." Elphaba climbed into her bed.

"What do you mean?"

"He said 'we should do this again sometime' and I agreed."

"Ooh! You're going to go out again. Now, what flavor ice cream did you have?"

"Why is that relevant?"

"Because I'm hungry and I just want to know."

"Chocolate. Now can I get to sleep, Glinda?"

"I'm not done!"

Elphaba buried her head in a pillow. "Oz help us all. What do you want to know?"

"Well, did you _do_ anything?"

"Define 'do'."

"Did you kiss him? Did he kiss you? On the lips? On the cheek?"

"No to all of those."

"He didn't even try?"

Elphaba turned over in her bed. "Well, he did, but…"

"Elphie, don't tell me you pushed him away."

"Not exactly. I just wasn't expecting it and I jumped, that's all."

"You didn't apologize?"

"I did. And then I ran up here."

"Great. I'm sure he's feeling very confident right about now. Did you do anything else?"

"Like what?"

"Like hold hands or cuddle?"

"Why do you need to know all of this?"

"I just do."

"What if I don't want to tell you?"

"I'll make you tell me. What do you think everyone will do when they see those pages from your notebook?"

"You wouldn't dare."

"I would."

"Fine. We held hands. Are you happy?"

"That's so cute!" Glinda giggled.

"Oh, dear Oz."

"Now, one more thing and then you can go to sleep. If he tries to kiss you next time, are you going to let him?"

"I don't know. Leave me alone." She glared at Glinda and then moved to fall asleep.

The next time their circle of friends went for dinner at the café, Glinda insisted on playing more ERS. It was strange how no one found it suspicious that she kept making them all play. Not that she was complaining, of course. This time, she decided, people would have to choose their own partners. It amused her how quickly Shen-Shen claimed Pfanee.

"Partners again?" Fiyero asked Elphaba, feeling self-conscious.

Looking up from the book she'd been reading, she said, "Sure."

"Great. Elphie, I've wanted to say something to you…"

"Yes?"

"I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm not going to let that stop me from saying it. Last week, when you said that you thought you were ugly and I told you that not everyone thought that, I wanted to say that I… well, I… I think you're actually quite beautiful."

"No." She said simply.

"But, Elphaba…"

"No, Fiyero." After a moment, she changed the subject. "Same code as last time?"

"Of course. I was thinking, Saturday night we could go out again?" He placed his hand over hers on the table. "If you still want to, I mean."

"I'd love to." She slid her hand out from under his, kindly, making it clear to him that she just didn't want everyone else making a big deal out of whatever was between them.

"I'm sorry about the other night when I walked you to your building. I didn't mean to frighten you."

"You didn't frighten me. I just didn't expect you to do what you did."

"Should I warn you next time?" He smirked, trying to lighten things up.

"Maybe you should." She stuck her tongue out at him. "But maybe I'd rather not know."


	4. Chapter 4: Rules

"I really enjoy spending time with you, Elphie." He said the next time they went out. "I mean that."

She allowed him to take her hand as they walked away from the building and headed towards the café, where they were going to eat. "Thanks." Shivering slightly, she slid into the seat across from him.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Oh, I don't know. Whatever you're having, I guess."

Her eyes weren't brown, he noted, they were copper, shimmering and beautiful copper. As they ate, he couldn't help but look into her eyes, examining the color and what it was, exactly, that made them so stunning. When they'd finished eating, he didn't want to let her go right away so he said, "Would you like to take a walk around town center with me?"

"All right."

He took her hand in his firmly. "What are we?" He asked her as they walked.

"What do you mean?"

"We've gone out twice now. Are we friends? Are we dating? Are we something in between?"

She had the sudden urge to act girlish, out of character. Sweetly, she said, "We're whatever you want us to be."

"Whatever I want?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Don't think like that!"

"Like what?"

"You know."

Letting go of her hand and starting to jog, he headed towards a bare field, "Maybe I do, and maybe I don't. But you'll never know unless you catch me."

She ran after him, keeping a steady pace only inches behind him. "I'm going to get you. I am." Laughing, she trotted through the grass.

Thunder boomed above their heads and he turned around, running backwards. "Keep telling yourself that."

She'd stopped running and was looking around frantically.

"What? Elphaba?" Then he remembered her problem with water. He ran up to her and took her hand. "It hasn't started yet. Let's get you inside."

"I'll never make it to my dorm."

"Come on, in here." He dragged her into the first building he found.

"But Fiyero, don't you know that's the…"

They were standing among a large group of people dancing sensuously.

"… Philosophy Club." She finished.

"It was the closest place. Do you want to get soaked?" He asked her.

"No, but, we're… _here._"

"Let's see if there's anywhere in the dirty hellhole of a place where we can just sit and talk alone." Fiyero pulled her with him and asked the dwarf serving drinks, "Is there any place that two people can get some privacy around here?"

The dwarf raised his eyebrows but pointed across the room where several doors were lined up along the wall. Five out of the seven doors had signs on them that said, "occupied," but two had signs that said, "vacant".

Fiyero led Elphaba into one of the vacant rooms and turned the sign around. Looking around the room, he saw a grungy bed that looked overused, a couch, several pieces of furniture that he was sure had uses, just nothing he was familiar with, a dresser and on top of it a bottle of some strange-smelling potion. "Are you all right?"

Elphaba looked shaken. "That dwarf is probably thinking that we're…"

"Who cares? Would you rather be outside in the rain?"

She shook her head. "Sorry for ruining our night."

"What?"

"It's my fault we're stuck in here. If it weren't for my reaction to the rain, we could be doing whatever we wanted right now."

"The only thing I want to do tonight is be with you, and so far that's worked out, even if not in the most convenient of places." He told her.

She sat on the couch, shivering, having thrown off her slightly damp cloak and hung it on the door handle. "This place is disgusting."

"I know. I wish it were something else that was just around the corner, but we're out of luck." He sat down next to her. "Are you cold?"

"No."

He gently, as not to alarm her, held her close to him. When her shivering eased up, she didn't move away and simply rested her head on his shoulder instead. Comfortingly, he squeezed her shoulders. "We'll be out of here in no time. It'll stop raining soon enough."

She spotted the window and squinted to see out, shaking her head. "I could be stuck in here all night."

"You? What do you mean just you? If you think I'm going to leave you here, you have a lot to learn. I wouldn't do that to you, Elphie."

"Thank you."

He kissed her forehead and she flinched a little, but not enough to pull away. "It's going to be fine, don't worry."

They sat for a while in silence, and her eyelids began to droop. "I'm so tired," she muttered.

"Do you want to sleep on the bed? You're welcome to."

"On that thing? No way. Oz only knows what's gone on in that bed."

He laughed. "If you want me to get up and let you fall asleep right here, that's fine."

"No, sit here with me. You make a good pillow."

"Thanks, I think."

Curling up closer to him, she closed her eyes. "Wake me up if it stops raining."

She woke up later that night to find Fiyero asleep and the rain still falling. Yawning, she got up to take a better look out the window.

"Elphie?" Her movement had woken Fiyero.

"Right here." She said quietly.

He joined her at the window. "It looks like it might be dying down a little."

"Maybe."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I guess. This is just a little… weird, to say the least."

"What? Being stuck here with me?"

She nodded.

"Weird doesn't have to mean bad, does it?"

"No, of course not."

He put an arm around her and she nuzzled her head against his neck tenderly.

"I feel so… not me right now."

"Why?"

"Do you think I normally fall asleep curled up comfortably next to an unusually beautiful boy… young man, whatever?"

"I guess not. And no complimenting me until you allow me to compliment you."

She sighed but shrugged and played with her bony fingers. "I guess I have to listen to you, then. But I won't believe it."

"That's good enough for now." He said contentedly. Getting up to glance out the window, he said, "Look!"

Elphaba smiled excitedly. "It stopped raining. Thank Oz for that."

"Let me walk you to your dorm."

"Thank you."

As they stepped outside, Fiyero asked, "So, next weekend, any plans?"

"I don't think so."

"Do you want to go out again?"

"I would like nothing better."

He was still confused about what to call their relationship. "We're dating, right?"

"Yes."

"So that would make you my girlfriend?"

"I guess." _I have a boyfriend. I am someone's girlfriend._ The thought was odd to Elphaba, but she liked it. She liked it a lot.

"Good." He took her hand and they walked back to her dorm in silence. When they reached her dorm, he said, "Well, I guess I've got to let you go here."

"Yeah, you do." Elphaba looked at him shyly. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "Thank you for a good time. Even if we did get stuck in the Philosophy Club."

"Good night," he said, and leaned down to kiss her, her hand still in his.

She stepped backwards and her nails dug into his hand, not sure what was compelling her to do so. When she let go of his hand, she looked up at him pathetically. Elphaba was terrified, but not of Fiyero; she was horrified with herself. "I'm sorry. I mean to… I don't know what I meant to do. I…"

Fiyero, feeling rejected, replied, "It's all right. I'll see you another time." He turned around and walked away.

"It's not all right. I didn't plan on… I… Fiyero!" But he didn't turn around. Sadly, she trudged inside and headed to her dorm.

Glinda was asleep when she got in and she went to sleep without any disturbance. Well, excepting the fact that she couldn't quite forgive herself for what she'd just done and the awful behavior she had displayed.

Her dreams were fitful. _She'd been walking through a forest on her own, searching for something… someone? And ahead of her she saw Fiyero, his back turned to her. She cried out for him but got no response. She ran towards him but she never seemed to get any closer. Her dream faded then and in her second dream, she was in the Philosophy Club, dancing with Fiyero. She tried to talk to him, but he didn't seem to know she existed. She tugged at his clothes, but then she realized it wasn't really her he was dancing with, it was someone else. And then she tried to kiss him and he shoved her to the floor, in tears._

She awoke to Glinda looking at her expectantly. "How was your date?"

Elphaba grimaced in the sunlight, remembering the previous night's events. "Hell."

"Oh, come on. Tell me."

"Hell. I mean it. It was _HELL_."

"How?"

She sat up wearily. "Well, first we were stuck in the Philosophy Club for hours."

"You were stuck WHERE?"

"You heard me. We'd been outside when it began to storm and it was the closest place with a roof. What else could we have done?"

"Oh." Glinda looked interested. "Nothing happened, right?"

"I fell asleep."

"You fell asleep on a date? What kind of etiquette is that?"

"It didn't stop raining for a long time. It got late. Of course I was tired."

"Did anything go right?"

"Yes. It stopped raining before morning."

"And he walked you back again?"

"Yes."

"Did he kiss you?"

"Not exactly."

"You pushed him away again, didn't you?"

"I don't know what came over me. It was bad. Something tells me that he and I may not go out again, though we said we would."

"No. You two said you would and I'll make sure you do, even if it's the last thing that ever happens in my life!"

"Forget about it."

"How can you say that? I will not let you give up on him, Elphie. He adores you."

"Right."

"You just have to let him kiss you."

"I can't!"

"Yes, you can."

"Glinda, I'm nineteen and I've never been kissed before. I don't even know what to do, how to act."

"You're not supposed to know. There's nothing to know. It's so much better when it happens that way, anyway."

"You know?"

Glinda only shrugged and said, "Elphaba, please don't give it up. Everyone needs someone sometime."

When the usual group went out for their dinner Sunday night, Glinda demanded a round of ERS. "We need a rematch. Fiyero and Elphie won that last match way too easily. I don't think it was fair."

Elphaba looked at Glinda, knowing exactly what she was doing. Part of her was grateful for the chance to talk to Fiyero and part of her wanted to whack Glinda over the head with a giant stick. When Fiyero sat down next to her, she said nervously, "Hey."

"Hello." He was silent.

"So, same code?" Elphaba stared at her hands in her lap.

Glinda was watching them. The way the light hit Elphaba's hair made her look like she was glowing. She whispered across the table. "Elphie, you look so pretty just there."

Elphaba smiled and said, "No. No I don't."

Fiyero put a hand over Elphaba's. "No rejecting compliments. That's a rule. You can't break a rule."

"Yes, I can."

"Then I deserve to break one in return." He told her.

"Fine."

Sliding a hand into her hair, he whispered, "You _are_ beautiful," and then kissed her.

At first, she had no idea how to react. But her arms settled around his neck, pulling him closer to her as they kissed. She responded, kissing him back fiercely. When he let go, she was breathless. "That's no rule anymore."

Grinning, he said, "Good," and kissed her again.


	5. Chapter 5: Sleeping Beauty

A week before the winter holidays, Elphaba received a letter from home. Her Nanny had taken ill and trouble was ensuing at home. The pressure of taking care of both Nessarose and Nanny was eating at her father, who longed to be out preaching. Shell, her younger brother, was no help at all, of course. He was much too young.

As Elphaba was putting the letter back in her purse while sitting on a bench outside, Fiyero found her and sat next to her. "Guess what? I'm staying here for the winter holidays. We can celebrate Lurlinemas together!"

"No we can't. Fiyero, you've forgotten I don't believe in any religion, Lurlinist, Unionist or anything else. Besides, my Nanny is sick, and my sister Nessa is disabled. Nanny can't take care of Nessa and I have to go home to help out or my father will have a tantrum."

Fiyero's face fell. "I'm sorry. When is your father coming to pick you up?"

"Ha! He can't possibly come and pick me up. Who would take care of Nanny and Nessa? No. I'm to go by myself."

"How?"

"My father has sent for a carriage to get me the day that classes finish for the holidays."

"A carriage? Rented? Driven by some driver you don't even know?"

"Oh, don't get all concerned about this, Fiyero. I can take care of myself. It'll be fine."

"I don't like the idea, still."

"Why?"

"You can't go by yourself."

"Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?" She demanded angrily.

He realized he'd breached a sensitive subject. "I just don't think it's the best thing for you. I know you can take care of yourself, but if you're taken by surprise or something…"

"You're acting like you're my father or something."

"We _he's _obviously not acting like a father enough!" Fiyero snapped.

She blinked and stared at him, disbelievingly. "You did not just say that."

"I did." He said quietly. "Elphaba, I don't want you getting hurt. Can't you understand that? I care about you too much."

"I can't believe you said that!" She began, offended. "My father…" Elphaba stopped and trailed off, sighing and shaking her head.

"What?" He took her hand.

"Nothing. It's just… you're right. That's all. And I hate you for it."

"You don't really hate me, do you?"

She tried to laugh, but it didn't quite come out. "No, of course not."

"I have a better idea." He said comfortingly. "Glinda could go with you. It'd be safer."

Elphaba snorted at that. "Glinda? Safer? Are you kidding me? I'd only be less safe if Glinda tagged along."

"Then let me come with." He said impulsively.

She looked at him curiously. "I don't think that's such a good idea, either."

"Why not?"

"We're dating. I'm afraid of what could happen with you and me alone."

"Nothing would happen unless you wanted it to. I promise."

"That's just it. What if I don't know what I want?"

"Then we won't do anything. Just let me come with. Please?"

"Fine." She gave in. "If you insist."

He smiled at kissed her swiftly. The next thing he knew, she'd wrapped her arms around his neck and was pulling him desperately closer. "Elphaba…"

"Shhh." She whispered, kissing him intensely.

When she broke away, he put his arm around her, glancing around and noting that there was no one else outside at that time of day. "Then it's settled? I'm going with you?"

This time she really did laugh. "I have no other choice, do I?"

"No, no you don't." He teased.

"You need to be outside your dorm and packed by dinnertime Friday. Does that sound okay?"

"Sounds fine."

It was an hour past dinnertime that Friday night and Elphaba had already fallen asleep on his shoulder. He stared out the window, idly running his fingers through her soft, silken hair. The driver turned around. "Your friend, there; is she feeling all right?"

"She's fine." Fiyero replied. "Why?"

"She fell asleep awfully fast. Must be exhausted."

"We had final exams last week," Fiyero told the driver.

"A studious one, then, huh?"

"She is."

"You don't seem nearly that tired."

"I've never been much for studying."

The driver chuckled and turned back to the road.

Fiyero draped a blanket over both Elphaba and himself as the air got cooler. Subconsciously, she snuggled closer to him and he wrapped her tighter in his arms. Gently, he whispered, "Elphie?"

She looked up at him sleepily. "Yeah?"

"You tired?"

"A little."

"You can stretch out on the seat some more if you want."

She did and laid her head in his lap. "Thanks."

"No problem." He kissed her nose.

She giggled and closed her eyes. "Goodnight. Aren't you tired?"

"Not at all."

"Bored?"

"Not when I can sit here and watch over you."

She glanced at him, rolled her eyes and closed them again.

They arrived at Nest Hardings two days later. He helped Elphaba out of the carriage, stretching lazily. It was good to be out of the cramped compartment in the carriage, though he hadn't minded so much, being with Elphaba. "This is home?" He asked her.

"I wouldn't call it 'home' so much as 'hell'." She muttered. "Let's go inside." Entering the house cautiously, she called, "Father? Shell?"

He felt her hand tighten its grip on his as an elder man who he assumed to be her father and a young woman in a wheelchair entered the room. Elphaba seemed to tense and he had the urge to hold her close, though he knew it wasn't the time.

"Elphaba, Fabala, welcome home. And who…?"

She coughed. "Oh, yes. Father, Nessa, this is Fiyero."

Fiyero held out his hand for Elphaba's father to shake, but her father simply ignored it and scolded Elphaba. "Why was I uninformed you were bringing someone with you?"

"Did you expect me to make the journey alone? With a carriage driver I didn't know?"

This was obviously uncharacteristic of Elphaba, as Fiyero already knew and could tell from her father's face. "You're a young lady. Can't you take care of yourself?"

"Why would I want to? I felt safer having someone with me, that's all."

"Why a _male_ companion?" Elphaba's father was acting as if he was interrogating his own daughter.

Elphaba stuck her nose in the air. "Father, he's my _boyfriend_."

Frexspar almost choked and Fiyero was horrified at the unmasked surprise that was in the man's eyes. After a moment, Frex shook his head slowly, taking things in gradually. "All right, then."

Haughtily, Elphaba told her father, "You ought to show a bit more respect to your guests, especially Fiyero. He's a _prince,_ after all."

Frex seemed even more surprised at this. "A prince?"

"From the Vinkus." Fiyero replied, glad to get his word in.

Nodding, somewhat dumbfounded, Frex finally shook Fiyero's hand. "Welcome, your highness."

"Sir, such formality isn't necessary." Said Fiyero.

Motioning to Elphaba, Frex said, "Get your things. I'll put him in the guest room."

When they were settled in, Elphaba sidled her way into the guest room. "I'm sorry for the way my father treated you."

Fiyero, still unpacking the last few things from his suitcase, said, "No. Don't be. I'm just disturbed by the way he acted towards you."

"Why?"

He couldn't believe she didn't see anything wrong with her father's behavior. "He acted like he couldn't believe you were dating someone. That and he practically attacked you for bringing me along and not telling him."

"Well, he's right. I should've written home first."

"Still. The way he reacted when you told him who I am was uncalled for."

"No, it wasn't. Fiyero, no one expects me to have a social life. Not my father, not my sister, not my Nanny. It's only because of Glinda and Boq that I have any sort of social life to begin with, anyway."

"But he acted as if he doesn't expect anyone else to love you."

She shuddered at his words. "I don't look all that loveable."

"I've told you and meant it, and I still mean it, when I say that you're beautiful."

She caught his eyes and kissed him passionately. In between breaths, she said, "Thank you."

The door opened just then and Frexspar was standing in the doorway. "Dinner is…" He cut himself off.

Elphaba didn't pull away from Fiyero; she simply broke the kiss, but let him continue to hold her. "Sorry, father." But the look in her eyes was defiant. Fiyero could see she wanted him to stay close just to vex her father a bit.

Frex looked at his feet. "I was going to tell you that dinner is ready."

"We'll be out in a minute." Elphaba motioned for him to close the door.

When her father was gone, Fiyero looked at Elphaba questioningly. "What was that?"

She only pressed her lips against his harder, keeping their embrace heated. Clutching at his shoulders, she pushed her body against his.

"Elphaba, Elphaba!" He stopped her. "Calm down."

Her eyes were sparkling. "Sorry. I just wanted to shove it in my father's face that someone _does_ care about me."

He tilted her chin. "You don't need to shove it in anyone's face, Elphie. I care about you and nothing matters but that."

She let him kiss her tenderly and then finally released herself from his arms. "We'd better get to the dinner table before my father starts to think we're doing more than what he saw."

He sat next to her at the dinner table and was not astonished to see Nanny and Nessa react to him the same way that Frexspar had. The little boy, Shell, didn't understand the confusion, being so young. But even in the boy's eyes, he could see some hint of surprise.

After dinner, Elphaba once again crept into the guest room and they sat quietly for a long time, just feeling the other breathe. All at once, Elphaba began to cry.

He jumped, alarmed. "Elphie, Elphie, what's wrong?"

She shook her head and covered her face with her hands.

"What is it?" He wrapped her in his arms and held her close, waiting for the shaking to subside.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For the way I behaved earlier when I was in here. I pushed you into doing something that I only wanted you to do because I was resentful of my father."

"Don't feel bad about that." He stroked her cheek softly, wiping away the tears that burned at her face. "I can't blame you for acting the way you did."

"I just hate that he acts like I'm some sort of curse!"

"Hush. It's okay." He hugged her, letting her bury her face in his shirt.

"But it's not. I'm so tired of being looked at this way by my own family. I hate it. I mean, I don't know for sure, but this is not how a family is supposed to be."

"You're right, it's not."

"With normal families, there's always someone there to lean on no matter what's going on. But it's different in my family. They don't care. They'd look down on me no matter what happened."

"I'm here." He told her. "I'll be here, always."

She looked away. "Not always."

"Yes, always. At least as long as you want me around."

She looked back at him through her tears and tried to smile. "I appreciate that, but you really can't always..."

"I don't see anything in this world that'll make me want to stop being around you, Elphaba. So, as far as I'm concerned, I'm going to be here." He kissed her.

"I'd better get to bed." She smiled half-heartedly.

He didn't let go of her. "Stay."

"Fiyero, I can't."

"You can. Just fall asleep right here."

"I don't know…"

"We're both completely clothed; we're not even in pajamas. It's all right."

She nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. "You're too much."

"I'm not enough."

"I guess if you really want me to, I could fall asleep right here. It's pretty comfortable. And I'm getting used to being next to you when I fall asleep, thanks to that damned long carriage ride."

He stretched out on the bed and she laid her head in his arms and joined him. "Good night, Elphie."

"Good night."

"Sweet dreams, my sleeping beauty." He whispered.

He wasn't certain, but he thought the curve of her lips turned up a bit more as she smiled in her sleep.


	6. Chapter 6: Always Be There

When Frex didn't find Elphaba in her own bed the next morning, he knew where he'd find her. But he was afraid of what he'd find when he went into the guest room, though he had no choice. Carefully, he opened the door and peeked in. "Elphaba?"

Yawning, she turned over in the bed and muttered, "Five more minutes."

"Elphaba, I'm afraid you can't have five minutes. We need to talk. I want you out here now." Frex ordered.

She woke up completely then and sat up, accidentally nudging Fiyero awake. "Oops."

Fiyero rubbed his eyes and looked at Frex guiltily. "Um, this is my fault…"

"Don't." Elphaba said, getting up. "I'll talk to you later. Just go back to sleep."

Fiyero shook his head in protest, but she gave him a look that told him he'd better go back to sleep or she'd get angry. Sighing heavily, he laid back in the bed.

Elphaba quietly closed the door behind her and looked up at Frex. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Sleeping?" She replied coolly.

"Very funny, Elphaba. What have I told you about having intimate relations before getting married?"

"Father, we were just sleeping, honestly."

"If I catch you and this boy doing anything out of line, I swear…"

"You'll what? You didn't even believe anyone could care about me and didn't even care that I was involved with someone until I could, Unnamed God forbid, be doing something sinful." She snapped heatedly.

He was taken aback by the way she'd spoken to him. "How dare you speak to me, your father, that way?"

"My father? You certainly don't act like one." She heard Fiyero's words behind her own and cringed, but knew he'd been right. "Besides, do I look like _your _daughter?"

For a moment, Frex was speechless. Calmly, he replied, "Nevertheless, I raised you and whatever you may be, you are my daughter by default, if nothing else."

"Default, is it? Nanny is more of a parent to me than you are."

Keeping the tension out of his voice as much as he could, he said, "Speaking of your Nanny, she'll be awake in an hour or two. I expect you to look after her. Nessa rises normally around noon on days such as today."

"Whatever." Elphaba said, shooing her father away. She edged back into the guest room and sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning her head against the wall in aggravation.

"Elphie?" Fiyero was holding her suddenly.

"Good morning." She said softly. Part of her wanted to pull him down onto the bed and beg him to do exactly what her father didn't want her to do, but she knew better. "I'm sorry you had to be woken up so rudely so early."

"I don't mind. Are you okay?"

"Fine."

Wiping a strand of hair out of her face, he asked, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"What'd he want to talk about, anyway?"

"Take a wild guess."

"I shouldn't have made you stay in here."

"You didn't make me. I chose to. I wouldn't have let you make me do anything."

He smiled gently and kissed her on the cheek. "When's breakfast?"

"Ugh. Do you have any idea how early it is?"

"No. But I do know that I'm hungry."

"Breakfast isn't for another hour or two, but I can grab you an apple or something from the kitchen."

"Sure."

She exited the room and tossed him an apple when she came back. "I've got to go look after Nanny and Nessa. Sit in here and do whatever. I'll get you when it's time to eat a real breakfast."

He nodded and munched on the apple hungrily.

Elphaba tiptoed into Nanny's room and found the old woman awake. "Nanny? How are you feeling?"

"I've been worse. I've been better." Replied Nanny. "How is your friend?"

Elphaba blushed. "Oh, yeah. Fiyero. He's fine."

"Is your sister awake yet?"

"Not that I know of." Elphaba set up a small table near Nanny's bed. "Now, do you want to eat breakfast in here or do you feel up to eating with everyone else this morning?"

"In here."

"That's what I thought." She set out a small tablecloth and grabbed some paper plates and cups. "I'll bring your breakfast into your room then. You just stay right here." She headed out of the room and almost ran right into Fiyero. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for you. Can I help you at all?"

She'd been ready to reprimand him for leaving the guest room, but his offer to help softened her a little. "Thank you, but there's not much to do."

"If you need me…"

"I know."

A week went by and Elphaba continually fell asleep in the guest room, to Frex's initial dismay. He seemed to become less disapproving as the days came along.

Fiyero had fallen asleep with his hand in Elphaba's blouse and he woke the same way, finding her asleep next to him. Trying not to wake her, he pulled his hand away and got up, dressing quickly.

"Fiyero?" She was staring at him. His chest was bare and the diamonds had once again entranced her. "My Oz, you're beautiful."

"And so are you." He assured her.

Frex knocked on the door and Fiyero opened the door after having pulled a shirt over his head. One glance at Elphaba's hastily buttoned blouse (the buttons all wrong, too) told him that Elphaba and Fiyero had spent most of the previous night kissing – as teenagers often would. He sighed and let go of the matter, too tired to deal with them at the moment.

"Sorry, father…" Elphaba began.

"It's fine. You two ready for breakfast?"

Fiyero nodded and Elphaba adjusted her blouse again. "Sure."

"Fabala, can you do me a favor and get Nanny to the table? I'll handle Nessa."

"All right."

When Frex was gone, Fiyero raised his eyebrows. "Your father seems to be acting nicer than usual."

She agreed. "I know. I guess it's because of the way I talked back to him before."

"Or maybe," Fiyero grinned, "It's because he realized how lovable you are."

She kissed him and laughed. "Fiyero…"

"Go get your Nanny, Elphie."

The winter holidays soon approached Lurlinemas, as well as the annual Unionist holiday as well. Fiyero insisted that Elphaba allow him to get her a Lurlinemas present, though she protested heavily. "No, Fiyero. I'm not getting you anything, so don't get me something."

"I don't care what you get me or don't get me. I've already gotten you something, anyway."

"Return it."

"What if I can't?"

"Sell it on the streets."

"I will not do such a thing. Elphaba, just let me give it to you?"

"No!"

"But I want to."

She waved him away. "If you insist."

So Lurlinemas morning, Fiyero woke next to Elphaba and very cautiously got out of bed. He shuffled through his things until he found what he was looking for. After placing it where he wanted it, he said in Elphaba's ear, "Happy Lurlinemas."

She jumped slightly and her eyes fluttered open. Her first instinct was to bury her face back in the pillow, but she realized what was around her and she giggled.

"Do you like?"

She sat up and grabbed the large stuffed bear and hugged it, smiling. "Yero…"

A nasal voice came from the bear, "I'll always be here for you."

She shook her head, blinking back tears. "Really, Yero, you didn't have to."

He didn't know when she'd started calling him Yero, but he didn't mind. "Oh, but I did."

She buried her face in the bear's fur, laughing. "Thank you."

"I do want something in return."

Confused, she looked at him.

He took her by the waist and kissed her deeply. "There."

"I want to give you more than that." She whispered.

"Not now, or here." He replied, taking her hands.

She nodded and hugged him sweetly. Giggling, she let him pull her down onto the bed, kissing playfully. Their games were innocent and childish; there was nothing behind their lighthearted teasing. Though they'd just awoken, Elphaba fell back to sleep quickly, still clutching the bear, Fiyero holding both of them.

He soon fell asleep as well. Frex, nervous at having heard the bedsprings creak, came into the room a few minutes later to find them sleeping soundly. Smiling, he shut the door and left them to their slumber.

When Elphaba woke up again early that afternoon, she shook Fiyero awake as well. "Happy Lurlinemas."

He smiled. Since their first kiss, he realized, she'd thrown away much of the tension that had existed between the two of them. It was as if they were childhood playmates become not-quite-lovers - though he was aware that would happen soon enough, neither of them had any shame in how much they yearned to lie with one another with only skin between them – and everything between them was easygoing and pure. "Happy Lurlinemas to you, too, Elphie."

She knew she'd changed, as well, and though her pride often prevented her from showing it, she enjoyed her closeness with Fiyero. If Glinda only knew… she'd never let her live it down. Perhaps this is why she was so much freer with him when they were alone. It was nice to be real with someone, she'd discovered, and she used every moment that they had alone as time to let go. She wished she'd known this comfort before. With Glinda, at times, she could be herself, but never as it was with Fiyero. A point came when she worried if she might need him too much, if she might, Oz save her if she had, have fallen in love with him. The passion she felt when she thought of giving up herself emotionally equaled the passion that which she felt when she thought of a similar thing physically. Except of course, when the physical aspect of everything came to her mind, she felt a different sort of passion, one that pooled at the bottom of her stomach.

It was scary to feel how she could want him in that way with so much strength. And the strength with which she did want him! The physical tension they both felt when they kissed was almost more than she could bear. She wondered if he felt the same way, physically, about her as she felt about him – though she doubted anyone could want her that way. It would've surprised her had she known how he wanted her.

Shaking herself back into the moment, she pulled Fiyero out of the bed. "I think it's about time we actually leave the room."

He took her hand and they exited the room. Both of them were surprised to find what greeted them the moment they came into the living room.

"Father?" Elphaba couldn't believe it. Beneath the Lurlinemas tree was a gift for _her_.

"Open your present."

Numbly, she sat down and slowly tore off the wrapping paper and opened a box. Curiously, she asked, "How'd you know my size?"

Gesturing to the new dress Elphaba was holding, Frex said, "You have been sleeping a lot. It's not hard to measure you."

"Father, thank you!"

Her father smiled when she hugged him and then ran off to try it on. When Fiyero looked at him curiously, Frex said, "What?"

"Nothing." Said Fiyero, happy to see Elphaba happy. "Nothing at all."

She came out wearing the silky black dress, which Fiyero thought accentuated her figure nicely, though he didn't dare say that in front of her father. Instead, he said, "You look beautiful."

Elphaba's father and younger sister nodded in approval while Nanny gave Fiyero the once-over, as if she hadn't seen him every day for the past few days. It made him shiver, as if the woman could read his mind and knew exactly what he was thinking about Elphaba.

When Fiyero looked away from the old woman, she muttered, "You and my Elphaba are very close, aren't you?"

Stuttering, Fiyero answered, "Well, y-yes."

"I mean _very_ close."

"Sure."

Nanny cackled and some sort of knowledge twinkled behind her eyes. Before dinner, she pulled Elphaba aside. "You really like that boy, don't you?"

"Yeah…"

"How much?"

"What do you mean how…? Nanny!" Elphaba suddenly realized what Nanny was getting at.

"I see the way he looks at you and I see the way you look at him. You just promise me that you'll be careful."

"What do you mean 'careful'?"

"You know what I mean. I'm not going to bother telling you not to do anything. Your mother didn't listen and I don't see the point anymore. But I want you to promise me that, when the time comes, you will be careful."

"Nanny, how can you say that? I would never in my life even think of…"

"I know you're lying, Elphaba. Just promise."

"But, Nanny…"

"Promise me."

"Fine. I promise, I promise."

It was late at night when they left to head back to Shiz. Elphaba, in her new dress, was high on excitement and attention. She was still having difficulty believing her father had begun to appreciate her more.

"I told you." Fiyero said, waving his hand.

She climbed over him in the seat and straddled him, kissing him forcefully. "Don't talk for a little while, okay?"

He grabbed her waist, pushing her against him harder, and mumbled, "Okay."

After half an hour of very extreme kissing and teasing, Elphaba finally did pull away and rest her head back on Fiyero's shoulder, smiling. "Thank you for coming with me. This winter wouldn't have been the same without you."

"Nothing in my world would ever be the same without you," he replied, whispering her to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7: Oops

Spring came and went and the summer fever that students got began to creep into even the most studious at Shiz, including Elphaba. She spent less time studying and more time with Fiyero, who was as close to being her lover as he could get without actually being her lover.

They'd implied several times that the time for them to make love would come soon. Fiyero occasionally whispered hints in Elphaba's ear and she'd blush and tell him they'd "talk about it later". It was late one night when Fiyero had walked her back to her dorm and she'd just kissed him goodnight when she decided she wasn't quite ready to be alone that night. "Do you want to come up?"

"What about Glinda?" He asked calmly, having been prepared for this moment for some weeks.

"She's asleep. She'll barely even notice a thing. She's quite a sound sleeper." Elphaba grinned suggestively.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" He tugged her up the stairs, picking her up, laughing.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, making him stumble towards the door. "Careful, don't drop me!"

"Calm down. I won't. Got your key?" He set her down gently at the doorway.

She fumbled in her purse, "Yeah, one minute." After a minute of searching, she brought out the key and turned it in the doorknob. Grabbing Fiyero's hand, she whispered, "Come in."

He followed her into the room and sat down on the bed. She turned to him and the look in her eyes worried him. "Are you sure you want to do this now? We can wait. We can always wait, Elphie."

"I know." She said softly. "And I'm sure."

"Then stop pacing around the room." He held out a hand and she took it, sitting next to him. When she leaned into him, he held her in his arms for a long minute. "If you're nervous, you can tell me."

"I'll always be nervous, Yero. That doesn't stop me from wanting what I want." Her lips met his and the kiss began mild, growing in longing as their hands began to wander. "I'm very sure."

He tilted her chin, looking straight at her eyes. "I have to say something before we do this."

"I know, I know, I'll tell you if you hurt me and so on."

"That's not it."

She cocked her head. "What?"

"I love you, Elphaba."

She blinked slowly, and then motioned him to lie back with her on the bed. Laughing quietly, she kissed him. "Mmmm. And I love you."

"Then this is right."

"Yes. It is. Because I love you." She pulled his shirt over his head, running her hands over his chest, admiring his beauty again.

Watching her eyes for any sign of discomfort, he unzipped the back of her dress, tracing her spine as he did so. "If you have a second thought…"

"I know. But I don't think we need to worry about that."

Tentatively, Fiyero pressed his lips to her ear and sighed. "You even feel beautiful, Elphaba."

"Not beautiful like you." She replied. When they made eye contact again, she began to finish removing his trousers.

"No, you're right. Much more beautiful." He helped her get her dress over her head and in a moment, they were lying next to each other, bare and unprotected. "I'll be safe," he told her, "don't worry."

When he turned to her, both of them ready, her smile was genuine and she let her mouth join with his before any other part of them touched. It was slow but sure as the edged closer to one another that this would be the time. His hands came between them, helping him into her tenderly. There was no pain, but the sudden realization of the way they were bonded to one another made her cry out, a soft whimper against his deep breaths.

From across the room, Glinda stirred and mumbled, "Elphie, are you all right?"

Her arms keeping her body close to Fiyero, needing the warmth of his body in this moment of union, she gasped and then muttered, "I'm fine, Glinda. I was just having a very, very vivid dream."

"Whatever." Glinda's back was still turned to them.

Fiyero smiled and kissed Elphaba lovingly. "What can I do to make this feel good for you?"

"Oh, Fiyero," she murmured, "don't you worry about that. Just make love to me. Make sweet, sweet love to me."

He pressed his lips to her forehead, "But I do worry. I love your body. I cherish every moment that I am in any way touching you. Whatever can make you feel loved, feel adored, I want to do. I'll shower you with warm, careful kisses; I'll bathe you in my words, sweet things echoing against your body. Elphie, my Elphie, what can I do?"

"Exactly what you're doing now. You couldn't possibly do anything wrong, Yero."

At last allowing himself to take her hint, he began thrusting softly, the reverberations of her pleasure moans soaring through his ears. He felt her lips fasten onto his neck; he felt the gentle press of her teeth against his skin. It seemed that the heat of their passion, their lack of restriction, was building between them and something even sweeter, shining and glimmering, had linked their bodies together, but not just their bodies, their minds, their emotions.

Elphaba's love words lowered in volume and soon her only words were soft whispers, "Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god…"

Fearing that she'd cry out, he took her face and pressed it into his shoulder, keeping her presence against him for as long as he could bear. When she bit into his skin, his eyes widened and he knew it was ending, knew it was over. "Elphie…"

She threw her head back, unable to control herself anymore, and cried out words, though the exact sentence was indistinguishable. He'd made her his, now, he knew. There was no holding her back. When he was able to trap her mouth in his, he wrapped his arms around her tight.

Once more, Glinda tossed and rolled over in her bed. "Elphaba, are you having a nightmare?"

"No. I'm sorry for screaming, Glinda. I won't do it again. I must have been having some crazy dream." Elphaba answered. When she'd made sure that Glinda was falling back to sleep, she let Fiyero cover her with the kisses he'd been threatening to and then he pulled her against him, burying his head in the pillow and falling asleep.

"Oh my god… what is he doing in here!" Glinda's shrill shrieking was the first noise to greet both Fiyero and Elphaba's ears the next morning.

Elphaba groaned, light hitting her eyes, accosting them as Glinda pulled up the blinds rudely.

"What have you two been…? Elphaba!"

She buried her face in Fiyero's chest. When he lightly pushed her away, reminding her that she needed to face her best friend, she muttered, "Turn away so we can at least have this conversation with more decency."

Glinda obeyed and both Fiyero and Elphaba scrambled for their clothes. Fiyero headed for the door the moment he was dressed. "I'll see you at dinner tonight, Elphaba." With that, he was out the door.

Elphaba stared at the closed door openmouthed. How could he have just left? Anger boiled in her face, but she felt it drain away as details of the night before ambushed her. Staring helplessly at Glinda, she asked, "What do you want?"

"I can't believe you! I never thought I'd wake up to find you _in bed_ with him!"

"Surprise, surprise." Elphaba shrugged.

"I thought I'd heard his voice… sweet Oz, I can't understand what you were thinking. Do you understand what you've done? You've given up your virginity, Elphie. I thought it was more important to you than that."

"It was important to me! But, Glinda, we'd waited long enough."

"Long enough? How long have you two been dating, now? Six… seven months? You haven't even been dating for a year and you think it's been long enough for you to have sex?"

"We couldn't wait any longer." Elphaba was suddenly regretting that she'd asked Fiyero up the previous night. Well, not much, but at least she felt _some _regret.

"You could've. There's no using that as an excuse. I thought you were saving yourself for marriage."

"I don't recall saying that, exactly." She began to remember that she'd said something along the same lines, though she only realized it now. Elphaba looked down, ashamed. She raised her eyebrows at the sight of the pillow. Droplets of blood had spotted the white cloth. It must've been from when she'd bitten his shoulder, or when she'd sucked on his neck, though she wasn't sure which.

"Well, I remember your exact words. You said, 'I don't see why anyone would _want_ sex before marriage'."

True, she had said that. "Well, now I do see. Would you leave it alone?"

"Leave it alone? Are you kidding me? No way. You invited him upstairs to _our_ dorm without even telling me. Then, while I was sleeping, you two did Oz-only-knows what and had sex, spending the entire night doing it! Do you think I didn't hear you? I may have been too sleepy to comprehend what you were doing, Elphie, but that gives you no right to bring him in here and just… Ew! I mean, we share this dorm. This is not your private sex lounge, Elphie!"

"I know that!" Elphaba spat. "I knew you wouldn't understand. Glinda, I love him."

"I don't care if you're going to marry him, for Oz's sake! If you love him so much, why didn't you make love, something that's supposed to be special between two people, in _private_?"

Fiyero did have his own dorm, didn't he? "Well, I don't know."

"And he didn't exactly stay to face the consequences by your side, did he?"

"He had to go…"

"Sure." Glinda was enraged. "Well, I never!" After a long pause, Glinda sat down on the bed next to Elphie and whispered eagerly, "So what was it like?"

Elphaba was shocked. "You scream at me about all of this and now you want details? I don't think so!"

"Elphie, I'm sorry. I just want to know."

"Why do you care?"

"A girl can be curious!" Glinda huffed.

"Curiosity killed the cat. Why don't you go ask Boq to help you find out for yourself?" Elphaba snapped haughtily.

"How dare you!"

Elphaba shook her head, half holding back laughter, half restraining herself from attacking the blonde girl. "How dare _you _reprimand me for having sex and then ask me for detail! You are way out of line, Glinda."

"Well, bringing a boy into the room is way out of line, too, Elphaba!"

Elphaba took a deep breath. "Well, at least you saved me from any awkward 'morning after' sort of thing."

"I did, didn't I? This is why I deserve to know _something_."

"Maybe later." Elphaba glanced at the clock. "We have to get to class in less than an hour or Doctor Nikidik is going to kill us."

"Do you think Fiyero will remember to go to class?"

"I'm not concerned about him right now."

An hour later, Fiyero walked into the lecture hall, very late indeed, receiving more than the usual stare. As he snuck into a seat next to Elphaba, Dr. Nikidik commented, "How kind of you to join us, Master Fiyero."

"Sorry that I'm late, sir. I uh… was, um…" He gave Elphaba a questioning look. She was staring at him, her expression horrified.

Trying to be subtle, she brushed at her neck lightly with her hand. "Have you looked in a mirror this morning?"

Loudly, Dr. Nikidik said, "I think what Ms. Thropp is trying to say is that you look like you've had a disagreement with something that bites."

Fiyero brought his hand to his neck. The skin felt raw and tender. "Shit." He muttered.

"Or perhaps there's a better explanation for it. Care to tell us?"

Avaric, who was sitting behind them, hissed, "He's got a hickey, Doctor Nikidik!"

Elphaba rested her arms on her desk and buried her head in her arms. "Oops."

"Looks like our friend Fiyero here was having an adventure last night. Why don't you have him tell us about it? I'm sure it explains the _life sciences. _And when I say that, I mean: the facts of life." Avaric laughed.

Fiyero tried to catch a glimpse of Elphaba's face, but she'd hidden herself quite well. She'd sunk down lower in her desk than he imagined possible.

Avaric leaned forward and whispered to Fiyero, "So, tell me, are green people better at having sex?"

Fiyero turned around and glared at Avaric, ready to snap.

Dr. Nikidik cleared his throat. "Master Fiyero, would you please keep your and Ms. Thropp's sex life out of my classroom?"

That was it for Elphaba. She grabbed her books and ran out of the classroom, barely a blur of green in the doorway and then she'd disappeared.

Fiyero got up and went after her. "Elphie!" He caught her in the middle of the campus, headed back to her dorm. Forcefully, he grabbed her wrist. "Wait. Elphie, I'm sorry. I didn't know. This is my fault."

"Leave me alone!" She pulled away from him and began to run towards her dorm.

He followed her still and grabbed her by the waist just before she'd reached her building. "No, Elphaba. Don't run from me this way."

She struggled pathetically for a moment and then let herself fall into his arms in tears. "I can't go back. I can never face that class again." She sobbed.

"Let's go somewhere to talk." He suggested.

"Where? We can't go to my dorm. I feel bad enough about letting you in last night."

"Then you'll just have to sneak into mine."

AN: I'm going on a cruise, so I'll update with a few chapters now. I'll be back December 26th.


	8. Chapter 8: Disagreements

**AN: In honor of Christmas, I'm trying to update EVERYTHING. I have one more story to write an update chapter for, and then I'll be ready. I'm on a laptop on a cruise without the Internet right now and I'm going crazy. For those who have "critiqued" my last chapter of this story: Yes, I know, odd with Glinda in the room. The purpose of that was so she could have her whole rant halfway through the chapter. I needed her to do something very Glinda-ish and that was the way I did it. Don't like it? Oh well. It's a little odd, I know. But it's written and it's not changing. Plus, Elphaba is, at times, a very sensual character. She'd lose her virginity that early, knowing her character from the City of Emeralds chapter where she practically jumps Fiyero. Anyway, sorry for ranting. Just felt like I needed some justification. Anyway, here's a new chapter of this one, as well as new chapters of everything else except for the 'If I'd known I loved you…' which should have a new chapter by the time I post this, anyway.**

When he'd shut the door and Elphaba had sat down on his bed (as far from where he sat as possible), he said, "Elphaba, I'm so sorry for this. I wasn't paying attention to what I looked like when I left for class. I'd only just remembered we _had_ class and so I threw something on and ran."

Elphaba was still sobbing tearfully. "It's too late now. It doesn't matter because it won't be happening again. Nothing will ever be happening again between us. Nothing."

Fiyero scooted over and wrapped her in his arms. "Don't say that, Fae."

"Look what happened! I can't go back to class ever, Fiyero. Even Avaric knows what we did. Do you have any idea how humiliating that is?" But she didn't pull out of his arms.

"Shhh, baby, don't do this. It's okay. I promise it'll be okay. I will do everything in my power to make it all okay." He wiped her tears away and kissed her softly.

Defenseless, she was pushed back onto the bed and the next thing she knew they were laying next to each other nude and out of breath. Her tears were not dry, however. "What did we just do? This is wrong, Fiyero. It's wrong and it's disgusting. I should go."

"No." He grabbed her naked body and pulled it against his. "Don't leave me this way."

"Why does it matter to you if I leave you at all?"

"Because I love you!"

"I love you, too," she said softly.

"Then we will make this okay and we'll do it together. You and me. Me and you. It doesn't matter what anyone else says. We still love each other."

"But we can't keep doing _this_. There's nowhere for us to truly be alone."

"I convinced my parents to let me stay for the summer. They even rented me a little apartment just down the street. I guess it's a bit undignified for me to live in a dorm. I'll be living in the apartment until graduation, perhaps longer. Live with me."

She clung to him. "Really?"

"Yes. When we've taken finals, I'm to move in. As long as you're staying for the summer, you can stay with me."

"But your parents…"

"They don't need to know you're living with me. No one needs to know."

"Where will I tell my father that I'm staying?"

"Just tell him the apartment is a one person apartment, that you got a job and neglect to mention that we're together."

She began to brighten up. "But what'll we do during the days? What'll we do at all?"

He grinned mischievously and kissed her again. "Oh, we could occupy ourselves in plenty of different ways."

"Different ways?"

"Well, I've always wondered about the different positions and situations…"

"Fiyero!"

"What? I'm a guy, I can't help it." When he saw she was still glaring, he stroked her hair. "I just want to hold you in my arms every night. And if you stay with me, I'll be able to. Wouldn't it be nice, Fae?"

"Well, yes, it would." She admitted.

"Then why not?" He began kissing her neck, easing her nerves.

"I'll do it." She smiled and snuggled against him. Pulling the blanket over them, she said, "I'm a little tired. I'm just worried about falling asleep and waking up to someone else yelling."

"This is just my dorm. Remember? And I'm not tried." Blowing a strand of hair away from her face, he said, "I'll watch over you."

As her eyes closed and she drifted off, she murmured, "I think I'll like living with you this summer."

It was later that trouble came. He'd dressed her and she'd dressed him, taking their time, and then they'd headed to the café. Both of them had forgotten the embarrassment they'd endured earlier in the day. When they walked in together, Avaric's voice echoed. "Well, if it isn't the two lovebirds. What happened when you caught up to her, Fiyero, did you have wild sex in the middle of the campus on the grass? I don't see any grass stains on either of you. Oh, wait, you wouldn't be able to tell on the green one, now would you?"

Elphaba's face heated up and she squeezed Fiyero's hand. "Right, Avaric. That's exactly what we did. Why don't you try it some time? I doubt anything would stoop to stain your pasty skin! Nothing would taint itself _that_ much."

Glinda raised her voice. "Everyone, stop! This is not the time to have this discussion. That time has passed and we are going to forget about life sciences today, is that clear?"

Elphaba ran to Glinda and hugged her, thankful that Glinda had completely forgiven her for the way she'd behaved. She smiled at Glinda and mouthed, "Thank you."

Glinda mouthed back, "You owe me."

Elphaba laughed and everyone sat down. Fiyero slung an arm around Elphaba and she sat back comfortably. "How about a nice round of ERS?" Suggested Elphaba.

"No way. You two always win. Let's play something else for once." Protested Crope.

"Why not?" Said Elphaba, grinning at Fiyero. "We can probably kick ass in any other game, too."

The next morning, there was a knock on Elphaba and Glinda's dorm room door and Glinda, who, unlike Elphaba, was dressed and on her way to class, answered. "Hello?" She raised her eyebrows when she saw Fiyero standing in the doorway with his books. "What are you doing _here_?" She asked.

"Is she refusing to go to class?"

"Of course she is."

"She has to go."

"I know."

"Can you let me talk to her for a few minutes?"

"You really think you can convince her to go?"

"I don't know. I barely want to face that myself, and I'm not going to be looked down on the way she is."

"The other guys will probably congratulate you."

"I've already had two guys who I'm barely acquainted with say, 'you're the man!' and pat me on the back."

Glinda looked at him scornfully. "She's gotten plenty of looks since yesterday." She stepped aside and opened the door fully.

Fiyero sat on the edge of the bed and shook Elphaba. "Wake up. We have to go to class."

"Didn't I tell you I wasn't going?"

"You can't just drop the class you have to take in order to continue with your major, you know."

"I can't go."

"You can."

"That's easy for you to say!" She hissed.

"I thought you were done being resentful for what happened. Just get up." Teasingly, he suggested, "I could help you get dressed." He gave her an innocent look when she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're joking, right? There's no chance I'm going to walk into that class again."

"Elphie, I know you're embarrassed…"

"Embarrassed? It's more than embarrassment!"

"You can't just ditch."

"I know." She said, resigned.

"Then let's go." He pulled her out of her bed and unbuttoned her nightgown as she stood, neither helping nor protesting. Unflinchingly, he pulled a dress over her head. "Come on."

She reached for her books and straightened out her dress. "If I have to."

He took her books and grabbed her notebook. "I'll carry your things."

"You don't need to…"

"What sort of boyfriend / lover would I look like if I didn't?"

"Is that the only reason you're helping? Because you're afraid of what it might look like if you didn't?"

"Do you have to question everything I do?" He held the door for her as she exited the room. "You're right. I'm only behaving this way for one reason: I love you."

Only these words brought a smile to her lips. "I love you, too."

He held their books in one arm and took her hand in his empty one. "We're going to class no matter what snide comments anyone makes."

She took a deep breath as they left the building and made their way across the campus. "I don't know."

"If Dr. Nikidik makes any remark about yesterday, it's not his place to do so and I'll be sure to remind him of that." Fiyero assured her.

"You'd talk back to a professor?"

"You would."

"Well, perhaps, but it's not in your nature. It's in mine."

They entered the building where their life sciences class was located. Class would start in five minutes and Elphaba hesitated when they reached the large, looming door to the class. She bit her lip and teetered back on her heels when Fiyero dropped her hand and reached for the door handle. He tried to comfort her by rubbing her back quickly and whispering, "it'll be fine," before opening the door.

Elphaba stared at the floor as she made her way to the nearest empty seat that had and empty seat next to it. "Are they staring?" She asked Fiyero under her breath.

"Not really."

She looked around, surprised to find that Fiyero was right. "Thank Oz."

Dr. Nikidik looked up from his desk, astounded and amused to see Fiyero and Elphaba back in class. "Ms. Elphaba, Master Fiyero, would you please come here a moment?"

Fiyero and Elphaba exchanged glances before approaching the desk. "Yes, doctor?"

"Don't look so horrified, Ms. Thropp. I simply wanted to apologize for drawing attention to you two yesterday. Though I must ask, Master Fiyero, that in the instance that something of that nature should happen, you clean yourself up better, as you have today."

Glinda had helped Fiyero and Elphaba cover up the mark on his neck. It wasn't obvious, but it was covered. Only if one was really looking for it would one be able to see it. "I will, sir."

"You may sit down."

Fiyero and Elphaba did as they were told just as Avaric bustled in, his eyes bright when he saw the couple. "Well, well, who do we have here? Brave of you to come to class, Elphaba, after such unladylike behavior, and you, Fiyero, after shaming yourself by sleeping with the little green vegetable."

Before Fiyero or Dr. Nikidik could intervene, Elphaba whirled around and growled at Avaric, "I'm just guessing, but Master Avaric, you're probably more of a _little vegetable_ than I am in bed, at least that's the complaint I've heard the other girls make."

Dr. Nikidik almost snorted despite himself and Fiyero's dark face turned darker with the strain of holding back laughter. Avaric was speechless for a moment and then said, "Fierce one, aren't you? Then again, if you're that way in bed, that's probably why Fiyero loves you so much. I can't see any other reason."

As Elphaba's face reddened with rage, Fiyero put a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back into her chair. Defensively, he challenged, "Would you like to settle this outside, after class?"

Avaric's one worded reply was, "Shitface," before he turned around to take his seat.

Overcome with loathing, Fiyero snapped and caught Avaric across the jaw before he'd fully turned his back. Though Elphaba shrieked, Fiyero hit Avaric once more straight in the nose.

Nose bleeding, Avaric snarled, "Bastard!" And then he slung at Fiyero, who ducked, and jammed his fist into the metal of Fiyero's desk.

"Cut it out!" Shouted Dr. Nikidik, holding Avaric back as Elphaba came up behind Fiyero, taking his hand in a silent message of restraint. "You young men had better settle this another time, another way in another place. Avaric, I would appreciate no further comments about your fellow classmates. Go get yourself a tissue." Dr. Nikidik released Avaric.

Elphaba brought her body in front of Fiyero and whispered harshly, "You idiot. I can defend myself!"

"I'm tired of his comments."

Elphaba nodded and brought Fiyero back to his seat as Avaric walked to get a paper towel for his nose at the front of the room. On his way back, he tossed a note at Fiyero that read: "I'll kick your ass for this, heathen!"

This was the second obvious insult of Fiyero's race that Avaric had made and it took all of Elphaba's coaxing to keep Fiyero from getting out of his seat again.

His fists were clenched so tight that blood flowed from beneath his nails as he unclenched them. To Elphaba, he whispered, "sorry."

Dr. Nikidik began his lecture and Fiyero and Elphaba resorted to passing notes as he rambled on. At the end of class, Elphaba had no more succeeded in convincing Fiyero to forget Avaric's comments than Boq had succeeded in convincing Avaric to forget the blows that Fiyero had dealt him.

Leaving the building, Fiyero and Elphaba still argued. "Yero, you shouldn't."

"I don't care. I'm not going to deal with those racist comments any other way."

Elphaba looked at Fiyero sympathetically. She knew that, though she could identify with being discriminated because of skin color, racism was a generalization based on a group of people and – aside from elves – she was the sole green person and couldn't quite share his pain in that regard. So she begged, "Yero my hero," she tried buttering him up, "why don't we go out this afternoon, right now? We can even rent a room at a hotel or something. It _is_ Friday."

Fiyero felt lust battle with the rage that curdled in him. He glanced at Elphaba and his body tingled with yearning. But he could have that later, he reminded himself. The time for revenge on Avaric was only then. "Maybe later tonight."

Her face fell, but it was all right. She wasn't much in the mood for sex at the moment anyway. "Please, Fiyero, just go back into your room, let it go and sleep off your anger."

"I'd like to Elphie, but I can't."

Avaric approached at that moment and challenged, "Want to finish defending yourself and that freak girlfriend of yours, or are you too afraid?"

"Leave us alone, Avaric." Elphaba said boldly.

"Leave you alone?" Avaric leaned in unnervingly close to her face. "I'll show you alone, you whore." He slapped Elphaba across the face,

She barely blinked, but backed into Fiyero, whose hands she held tight behind her, discouraging him from fighting back. "Go away."

Avaric's hand struck out and all at once he was fondling her breast in his hand. As soon as he'd touched her, he let go. "Not even well built, is she, Fiyero? What in Oz do you find so attractive?" His hand beneath her chin as she stared angrily and hating back into his eyes, he spoke again. "Maybe I should take her to bed myself and find out. Must be quite the experience."

"I wouldn't get in bed with you if you were the last man in Oz and there wasn't anything remotely phallic shaped left in Oz." Elphaba spat.

"Not willingly, no." Avaric let his hand drop from her chin, now dangerously close to the hem of her dress. "But you never know. You might have the time of your life with a little encouragement." His hand twitched, only a threat, but still Elphaba gasped and stepped back just as Fiyero stepped forward, finally having wrenched himself out of Elphaba's restrictive grasp. Laughing, Avaric backed away a little. "On the other hand, Oz only knows what diseases this little slut might carry."

Elphaba at last resorted to violence and kicked Avaric squarely between the legs. "Fuck off."

Avaric grabbed himself in pain, muttered, "shit," and began running off.

Elphaba shuddered and collapsed in Fiyero's arms the moment Avaric was gone. "The nerve!"

"Did he hurt you?"

"Only because he touched me."

"Shhh." He held her tightly. "That was my fault. He never would have done that had I not fought with him in the first place."

"I asked for it."

"You did not!"

"Let's just go somewhere, please."

"Anywhere you want: my dorm, yours, the café…"

"I don't care."

He took her to the café and she drank tea until her nerves had sufficiently calmed. He suggested he drop her off at her dorm.

She refused. "Let's get a hotel room for the weekend."

He gave her a curious look but she simply nodded. He said, "Let's get your things and I'll get mine. Meet back outside your dorm in an hour."

Three hours later, they were half asleep next to one another in the hotel bed, Fiyero's steady breathing unable to help Elphaba fall asleep. She tossed and turned over.

Fiyero stirred. "Elphie?"

"Yeah?"

"You feeling better?"

"Much."

"Good." He stretched out casually and held an arm around her. "I love you."

She couldn't help making herself comfortable in the arms of the only person she'd loved. For a moment, she wondered if she had the capacity to love anyone, truly, but then she looked at his face and knew she did. "I love you, too."

AN: Merry Christmas!


	9. Chapter 9: Complications

1**AN: This chapter was more for humor and relief than anything else.**

The day classes ended, Fiyero moved into the apartment that his parents had rented for him. He spent the day arranging furniture and sneakily shopping for exotic bed sheets and blankets before Elphaba was to move in that afternoon. When she knocked at last, he'd quickly smoothed the silky sheets and opened the door. "Welcome to _our_ place."

Elphaba didn't have much – a suitcase full, at the most – but she'd brought it all with her and her eyes sparkled with excitement when she saw the apartment. They had a kitchen/dining room, a bathroom, a small living room and, of course, a bedroom. She rolled her eyes at the bed. "Expecting someone special? Someone beautiful? Certainly not me." She said.

He took her suitcase and placed it near the dresser and then hugged her in a way that only a lover could. "You are beautiful, I swear."

She sat down on the bed, shaking her head. "No. I'm really not."

He kissed her and ran his fingers along her shoulder. "Oh, I swear to Oz that you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen."

"Don't. Swearing to Oz gives your soul away if you lie."

"Good thing I'm not lying, then." But she refused to believe him, so he spent the rest of the afternoon and some of the evening making her believe him, forcing her to scream in passion between breaths that, oh yes, sweet Oz, she did believe him, she'd never doubt him again if he'd just keep going, she'd always…!

She pulled the red sheets – red for love, he'd told her – and similar colored blankets over their lightly perspiring bodies and fell back into _their_ bed, hiding her face in the crook of his arm, too happy to think straight, content with her lover and his loving, not caring that no one but he knew where she was, as long as she could feel the heat and presence of his body, filling her with an elated feeling she so rarely felt.

He smiled at her expression, knowing she was happy. That was all he asked for – that she be happy. Little did he know, it was no longer that difficult of a task; all she needed was a little reminder that he loved her.

Their first few days were spent learning about one another's living habits and learning to deal with them. Fiyero had almost forgotten that Elphaba's allergy to water caused her to have to rub oil on her skin (a task which he came to thoroughly enjoy watching or helping her do).

They did run into several problems, though.

It was a month until school began when Elphaba approached Fiyero with some difficult news. "Um, Fiyero?"

"What, Elphie?" He was relaxed on the couch, reading the paper and it was early morning.

They'd just eaten breakfast and there was still some syrup taste lingering on his lips when he kissed her. "We've got a major problem."

"What do you mean?" Fiyero put down the paper.

"I know we act like we're married, but we're not. And that's going to cause a problem."

Suddenly very nervous, Fiyero asked, "Why?"

"Well, no one around here knows that we're students. And no one at school knows we're having sex. Well, at least they don't know for sure. It's going to be a bit difficult to hide when, I'm well..."

"What?"

She spat it out. "I'm pregnant."

Fiyero's first reaction was. "Oh, shit."

Elphaba collapsed on the bed. "I knew you'd be upset."

Fiyero saw that she was bothered by his reaction. "Well, it makes things difficult. Of course I'm going to be! What are we going to do?"

"We're keeping it." Elphaba said flatly.

"But..."

"We're keeping it. If you don't like it, go ahead and leave me."

"I wouldn't leave you. You do realize what this means, though."

"It means a lot of things. I have no idea which one you're talking about."

"Well, we have to get married. I'm not letting you have a baby if we're not married."

Elphaba sighed heavily and looked away.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just..."

"Tell me."

"That was certainly not how I imagined it."

"What was?"

"That. It's just 'we're getting married'. Nothing romantic."

Fiyero paused. "Well, it's not exactly easy to come up with something romantic when you've just told me that you're pregnant."

"Well, I'm sorry for not giving you further notice. What was I supposed to say, 'Fiyero, we're going to have to get married because of something I can't say right now, so find a sweet way to ask me'?"

"No. It's just, you shouldn't expect me to say anything romantic, that's all."

"I don't. You never do," she snapped.

"I'm _sorry._ It's not as if you give me the opportunity."

"The opportunity? Last night, do you know what the last thing you said to me before we fell asleep was? You said, 'that was good, we should do it that way more often'. I didn't even get an 'I love you'!"

"Hadn't I just shown you?"

"Having sex with me shows me nothing but the fact that you need release."

"It means more than that; you know it."

"How am I supposed to? Plenty of people have sex for pleasure rather than love, Fiyero. The way you act about it, I feel like a sex toy."

"With the reactions I get from you during sex, you might as well be just a sex toy." He muttered.

Elphaba winced. "So that's all this is about, then? That's all this has ever been about, hasn't it?"

Fiyero realized he'd hurt her. "Elphaba, no, it's not..."

"Well, why don't you show me that more often?"

"You can't expect to say 'I love you' every damned moment of the day!"

"You don't understand! You know what? That's it. I'm leaving." Elphaba strode to the closet, dragged out her old, worn suitcase and began opening drawers.

"Elphaba!"

"No. Don't bother." She tossed her clothes into her suitcase.

"Where are you going to stay for the rest of the summer, huh?"

"I'll live on the streets. It's probably less lonely than living with you."

"And how are you going to get by, not even through college and already pregnant?"

"I'll do what I have to."

Fiyero was exasperated. "Elphaba, don't do this. You're acting stupid."

"How dare you call me stupid?"

As he shook his head, he realized that she was probably only half-meaning what she said. Didn't women get more emotional during pregnancy? "Stay, please?"

"I'll go home."

"Your father would kill you," he reminded her.

She hadn't thought of this. Suddenly, she burst into tears, "Damn it, I hate you."

He stood up, finally, and came up behind her. "Don't hate me."

When she felt his arms wrap around her, she pounded her fists against his chest weakly, "Leave me alone!"

"Shhh." He whispered, "It's okay. I love you."

"No you don't." She said, struggling still.

He caught her fists in his hand. "I do. I'm sorry I never tell you. I forget that I can't just tell you once and make you believe it forever."

"I don't believe you _now_."

"Come on, Elphie." He kissed her nose.

"No, no, no!" She cried as he picked her up and walked her to the bed.

"You need to lie down." He told her.

"Not with you." She protested.

Getting comfortable on the bed, he took Elphaba in his arms and rocked her like a baby. "I love you. I love you."

Wiping her hair away from her face, she looked at him. "I..."

"Let me guess: you love me, too?" He asked hopefully.

She shook her head, burying her face in his chest until she'd calmed fully. "I can't believe you just saw me do that."

"Do what?"

"Behave like that."

"Like what?" He asked, continuing to rock her gently.

She pushed him away. "Don't act like I'm a baby!"

"You were acting like one."

She laughed. "I might've been. But only a little."

Smiling, he held up both hands in surrender. "Just a little?"

She giggled and nuzzled her head against his chest. "I'm sorry."

"I love you, Elphaba. I mean that. I really am sorry for not saying it enough."

"I forgive you." She grinned.

"So, you'll marry me?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'll have to think about it. I don't want to rush into anything."

"It's a bit late for that, little Miss 'We don't need protection, I'm probably impossible to impregnate anyway'."

She flushed. "Well, I just thought..."

"No excuses."

"I was caught up in the moment." She whined. "And I thought if I took it back later, you'd be angry."

"So, what you're saying is: sex took over completely."

"I guess so."

"Well, who's the one who was yelling at _me_ for enjoying sex too much?"

"I said I was sorry, what more can I do?" Elphaba threw her hands in the air.

"Marry me." He said, kissing her.

"I have to, don't I?" She pretended to be disappointed.

He kissed her neck fervently. "Yeah, you do. We'd have to work things out a bit, but you do."

"What do you mean? About the baby?"

"That and several other things."

"We're keeping it, right?"

"If you want to." He answered, too preoccupied with her dress to really think of an answer.

"What about school?" She asked.

"You'll miss a trimester. It's no big deal." He replied.

"Or two. I don't want to even be there if I'm showing. I couldn't bear the embarrassment. Think of what Avaric would say."

"I'm thinking of several other things right now." He kissed his way between her breasts.

"I noticed."

"Like how much I love you."

"I doubt that how much you love me is the prevalent thing on your mind at the moment."

"It is."

"Whatever." She fell back into the bed. "Mmmm. Right there. Like that."

"I thought you'd like this," he murmured.

"I like, I like," she whimpered.

"Really?" He increased his power, not honestly needing an answer.

"Oh!" She screamed. "Yes, really."

"Hmmm. Good." He went back to pleasing her.

She whimpered, moaned and sighed until she could take no more and her back arched and her voice rose. "Fiyero."

Sighing, he came back up to her level and whispered, "I love you, Elphaba. I love you. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"And we'll get married."

"Yes. Even if the baby makes things tough."

"That's not the only thing that's hard."

"Very funny, Yero."

"Well, I mean, there are other complications," he said, pulling his clothes off and climbing onto her.

"Mmmm hmmm, what?" She mumbled, losing focus.

"Well, you know, I'm already married."

She sat up, shoving him off of her, "WHAT!"


	10. Chapter 10: A Little Romance

"It's a technical thing, no problem." Fiyero continued to try to push her legs apart.

She would have none of it. "Explain, now." Quickly, she covered herself with the blanket and reached for the dress on the floor.

"Well, in the Vinkus, it's a tradition we marry early."

"So you're already married?" Elphaba began dressing.

"Don't..." He then realized asking her to stay undressed would not be the best idea. "Sort of."

"What do you mean by 'sort of'?"

"We're not really married, we just are supposed to get married when we turn twenty."

"Who is 'we'?"

"Sarima and I."

"Sarima?"

"The girl I'm supposed to marry."

"Have you had sex with her, too?" Elphaba asked angrily.

"No. I've never even seen her except by accident for about two seconds when I was eight."

"But you have to marry her?"

"That's something I'd have to talk to my parents about."

"Well, you'd better write home _now_, because I refuse to even sleep in this bed if you're technically married to someone else." Elphaba got up and climbed onto the couch.

"We can still..."

"No, we can't and we will not." For the rest of the summer, Elphaba slept on the couch, refusing to allow Fiyero to touch her.

Fiyero's first letter home wasn't well received by his parents. He had to write a second one, threatening to refuse to return home and run away with his girlfriend instead in order to even begin the thinking process in his parents' minds.

During this time, the school year began and Elphaba stayed in her dorm. She was a month and a half pregnant, but refused to tell anyone. So, she began the first trimester of her third year of college.

One morning, Glinda caught Elphaba throwing up into the bushes outside of their window for the second time that week. She'd begun to suspect that something was going on. "Elphie, are you sick?"

"Just a little nauseous," Elphaba lied.

"You were nauseous yesterday morning, too."

"Must be something I ate for breakfast."

"You haven't eaten breakfast yet."

"I meant dinner."

"Right."

"I did."

"Are you sure you're not sick?"

"I'm fine, Glinda." Elphaba insisted.

"Maybe you should see a doctor."

"No!" Elphaba hissed. After a moment she said, "I mean: I'm fine, really."

It was the second week of school that Glinda began to realize what was happening to Elphaba. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Elphaba called from the bathroom.

"I just heard you throw up. I don't think you're fine."

"I am. Honestly, Glinda, stop worrying."

"I'm not worried, because I know what's going on."

Wiping her mouth, Elphaba stepped out of the bathroom. "What?"

"Fiyero got you pregnant, didn't he?"

"Glinda, what on earth...?"

"There's no other solution. You've got morning sickness and every time you and Fiyero go out, you don't spend the night with him the way you used to. Is that because you don't feel like sleeping with him because, perhaps, you're pregnant?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No! There's another reason for my not sleeping with Fiyero, thank you very much." (And there was).

"Explain why you're sick every morning."

"The oatmeal in the cafeteria bothers my stomach, but I eat it anyway because it's delicious, that's why."

"I don't think so." Glinda folded her arms across her chest. "I think you're pregnant."

"I think you're being ridiculous!" Elphaba snapped. "There are many other perfectly logical reasons for the way I've been."

"You're moody."

"I am not!"

"You are too!"

"I am not!"

"You are, and I know it."

"I'm on my period."

"That's probably the last thing that you're on."

Though Glinda was right, Elphaba still defended herself. "Really, it's just PMS."

"I doubt that."

"Since when have you cared, anyway?"

"Since I'm your friend, Elphie!"

"If you were my friend, you'd believe me."

"It's a bit difficult."

Elphaba turned to Glinda and snarled. "Would you just leave me alone?"

"Would you just admit you're pregnant?"

"I refuse to admit something that is not true."

"Then admit you're pregnant, because it _is_ true."

"It is not. I will not admit any such thing."

"Fine. In a month or two, it'll be hard to hide, anyway."

"In a month or two, I won't be going out in public." Elphaba replied. Realizing she'd just admitted to Glinda's suspicions, she sighed. "Fine. I'm pregnant."

"Oh, Elphie, you poor thing, what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean what am I going to do? I'm going to have the baby, of course."

"How does Fiyero feel about this?"

"He's not happy about it and neither am I, but we're keeping it."

"Is that why you're not sleeping with him?"

"Actually, there really is another reason for that."

"What is it?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"But you're not sleeping with him at all?"

Elphaba shook her head solemnly. "Nope."

"So, tonight..."

"Expect me back at the usual time."

"Whatever happened to staying with him, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"You two used to spend the weekends in his dorm or Oz only knows where all the time, now you don't. Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you can't spend the night with him, Elphaba."

"There's a reason for that, too."

"Is there something wrong?"

"I can't answer that. I'm not sure."

Glinda looked confused, but only shrugged. "You two going out for the day?"

"He'll pick me up in a few minutes, actually."

"Are you two okay?"

"It depends on what you mean by that."

"Are you two still together and happy and such?"

"I guess. It just depends if things can stay like that."

Glinda once again didn't understand, but made no request for an explanation. "Want help picking out an outfit?"

"I can do that myself. I don't really care what I look like when he and I go out anymore, anyway."

"Aw, Elphie, you have to care."

"Yeah, right."

Ama Clutch came into the room. "Elphaba, there's a young man waiting for you downstairs."

Elphaba sighed, pulled her hair back and left the room.

Ama Clutch looked at Glinda, "Is something wrong, dear?"

"Nothing."

"I know it's hard watching her go on dates while you stay inside, but you know there's no one around this place that's of high status enough for you to date, anyway."

Glinda sighed. "I know. I don't think I care what sort of status a boy has, anyway."

"Well, your parents do. So you mustn't date boys of low status. You're aware of that."

Glinda shrugged. "Whatever."

Elphaba was surprised to see Fiyero dressed formally when she came down the stairs. "What are you so dressed up for?"

"I'm taking you somewhere nice later, that's what."

"Where are we going now?"

"Theatre."

"Exciting." Elphaba said sarcastically.

"Would you rather do something else?"

"Let's spend the day in your apartment." She suggested. When he raised his eyebrows, she said, "Some of my things are still there, anyway. Besides, it'd be nice to stay inside alone with you for once. It gets cold early around here."

"There's not much to do at my apartment, Fae."

"I know. We can just sit and cuddle." She said, almost shyly.

"Whatever you want."

"Thanks."

As he had said, later that evening, he took her to a nice restaurant. The waiters were swift and the place looked fancy. She was glad she had left some things (including her favorite dress) at Fiyero's apartment, because she had needed to change.

After dinner, Fiyero dragged her out dancing, though she protested heavily. As he held her close, he whispered how much he loved her in her ear. She only replied with, "Treating me like this isn't going to convince me to start having sex with you again. There's only one thing that's going to do that, and you know what it is."

He smiled. "I know. And my parents finally relented, but that's not why I'm doing this."

She brightened up immediately. "You mean that your parents told you that you didn't have to marry that girl?"

"Right. I got the letter yesterday."

Almost angry, she asked, "And you've kept it from me all day?"

"I didn't want you to think I was only aiming to have sex with you," he said. "And look what reaction I got without telling you, anyway."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to that conclusion."

"It's all right. I love you, Fae."

Looking into his eyes as his hands were on her waist and they danced, she whispered, "I love you, too."

"Good." He shifted a little and suddenly the music stopped playing. Everyone on the dance floor looked around.

"Elphaba," he began loudly, "I've wanted to ask you something." In his mind, he was thinking, _Here goes trying something romantic for once._

She blinked slowly.

"Well, I know I've kind of already asked you," he said, getting onto his knees, "and I know this is a bit cliche..."

Everyone was looking at them now, Elphaba realized. Her heart pounded in her chest and she let him take her hand.

He slid a hand into his pocket and took out a small, black box. "Elphaba, I love you, will you marry me?"

She pulled him up off of his knees, uncomfortable with being dominant at the moment. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Yes."

The entire place erupted in applause and Elphaba blushed. Fiyero only grinned as he slid a diamond ring onto Elphaba's ring finger and whispered teasingly in her ear, "How about that for romantic?"


	11. Chapter 11: Elphaba's Secret

**AN: Wicked fans, come join my** **WICKED forum at thankgoodness, the link is in my profile! If we can get all the fan fiction writer fans, we can have a huge community!**

The wedding was small, for by the time it happened, anyone could guess that part of the reason the two lovers were getting married was Elphaba's obvious pregnancy. She'd dropped out of school her third month in and had good timing in doing so indeed, as she began to show soon after. For a thin, bony person like Elphaba, it was hard to hide something like pregnancy.

It was hardly a surprise to Glinda when Elphaba wouldn't leave Fiyero's apartment after the spring holidays. However, she was surprised to see Elphaba holding a baby in her arms when she made her weekly visit the day she returned from her trip home. "Elphaba!"

She hadn't heard Fiyero answer the door. Looking up from the cradle that they'd placed in Fiyero and her bedroom, she asked, "What?"

"You had the baby? I didn't know you were due this early."

Laughing, Elphaba said, "Neither did I."

Glinda raised her eyebrows.

"I never went to see a doctor during the pregnancy. I just guessed at the dates and I guess I was further along than I'd thought I was."

"It seems like it!" Glinda walked towards the cradle. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"She's a girl. Her name is Mylana Amara." Elphaba said proudly.

Glinda looked down at the baby. "She's beautiful."

"She gets it from her father." Elphaba said.

Fiyero, who entered the room just then, said, "And her mother," and wrapped his arms around Elphaba's waist.

Elphaba waved away Fiyero's comment with one word. "Delusional."

Fiyero only held Elphaba tighter. "You know it's true."

"I know you need to get your eyes checked." Elphaba teased.

"I happen to think green is a very appealing color." Fiyero argued.

"Thank Oz the baby isn't green." Elphaba said.

And the baby was, indeed, in no way any color unnatural in humans. She had Fiyero's dark complexion mixed with what Elphaba's father's complexion looked like. Her skin was a deep olive and her eyes a dark brown. There was no telling what color hair she would have (though Fiyero suspected it would be black, seeing as both his and Elphaba's hair was black), for the baby was only a week old.

Glinda let the little girl tug at the golden curls that hung untamed from behind a headband. "May I?" She reached to hold the baby.

Elphaba nodded. "Be careful, though. She doesn't like anyone holding her aside from me, usually."

But the baby did not mind Glinda's touch. She looked up with her deep brown eyes staring into Glinda's gray ones. Glinda smiled. "Hey, Mylana. I'm Glinda."

Elphaba whispered, "She likes you."

"And she doesn't even like _me_ that much." Fiyero piped in.

"Aw, Yero, she loves you. She's just a baby."

"Well, she had better love me. I am her father, after all."

Glinda stared at the baby girl, entranced by such a small life. "She's so cute. I could just hold her forever."

"No you couldn't, she's mine." Laughed Elphaba.

"You're a lot happier about this baby now that she's born than you were before," Glinda observed.

"Well, you can't help but love such a wonderful little miracle." Fiyero said. "Fae, you still haven't written your father about anything, our marriage or the baby."

Elphaba bit her lip. "I know. I just don't want him to be angry with me for neglecting to tell him before. Besides, he'll be angry that I got pregnant before we were married."

"He doesn't need to know when we were married." Fiyero suggested.

Elphaba found this prospect amusing. "'Dear father, Fiyero and I have been married for quite some time now. Oh, and by the way, you have a granddaughter.' I can imagine that would go well."

All three of the adults laughed, and baby Mylana cooed from Glinda's arms, making them all laugh again. Suddenly, Elphaba looked at the clock. Fiyero made a face. "Don't tell me you have to go again."

She frowned. "I have to."

"Would you at least tell me where you're going?"

"Darling, you know I can't."

"I don't like this."

"Yero, I can't just tell you. It's not that easy. I promise I'm not being a bad girl." Elphaba laughed.

Fiyero smiled lightly at that. "I believe that. But I don't like that you refuse to tell me where you go all the time now."

"I have to run," was all Elphaba would say. Quickly, she planted a kiss on Fiyero's cheek and left the apartment.

Glinda blinked. "That was fast."

"She always does that."

"Where does she go?"

"Did it sound like I know?"

"She really won't tell you?"

"I'm not allowed to know, supposedly for my own safety."

"Do you trust that?"

"I trust that she's being faithful. I just don't like whatever else it is that she's up to."

"Of course she's being faithful, Fiyero, she loves you more than I've ever seen her care about everything else. Both you and I know that."

"I agree with _that_. But I don't like that she can't tell me what's going on. It makes me uncomfortable."

"Do you have any clues?"

"It involves a group of people."

"What?"

"She slipped and said at one point, 'I've got to go with the group'."

"Hmm. I'm worried about her, Fiyero."

"So am I."

"You don't think it's dangerous, do you?"

"I'm almost sure it is." Fiyero said sadly. "She says she doesn't want me involved because she's afraid I'll get hurt."

"That would mean..."

"She could get hurt." Fiyero finished. "I know."

When Elphaba returned to the apartment that night, her cloak was wrapped around her tightly, like she was hiding from something, or at least hiding her identity. This made Fiyero even more uneasy.

"Fae, we need to talk."

She looked up, untying her cloak quickly as she dressed for bed. "What is it, Yero my hero?"

Immediately he didn't know if he could bring himself to argue with her. The use of his nickname had softened him and he knew she'd only said it as a way to get out of her predicament. Well, he thought so, anyway. Once he'd convinced himself of this fact, he said, "You can't keep hiding from me."

"What are you talking about? Fiyero, I'm not hiding from you. What do you mean 'hiding'? I tell you almost everything."

"Then tell me where you go all of the time."

"So that's where you were going with this." Elphaba sighed. "Fiyero, that's different. If I thought you needed to know, I'd tell you."

"I think I need to know."

"You don't. Fiyero, my darling, I can't tell you. It's too risky for me to do _that_. There's no way I will put you at risk."

"Risky? If it's risky, and you're at risk, I think I'd better know."

"Here we go again." Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"This isn't a routine. We have to talk about this. I need to know what's going on with you. We're married. You should tell me these things."

"You don't need to know everything that happens in my life. I mean, yes, we're married, but you are not my keeper."

"But I should know the majority of what you do. And the majority of it takes place wherever the hell it is that you go all the time."

"Fiyero, I'm here most of the time."

"These days, it's getting pretty close to being equal time spent here and equal time spent wherever else it is you go. You've left me alone to care for Mylana more times than I can count."

"I take care of her a lot, too, Fiyero." Elphaba paused. "Are you bothered by that? Having to take care of her? Is that it?"

"No, Fae. It's this entire secrecy thing that I don't like. I'm sorry to say there's nothing else going on in my mind."

"If you don't worry about it, then it'll all be fine." Elphaba attempted to reassure him, lying blatantly.

"I could not worry about it if you'd tell me what it is."

"No, that would make you worry more."

"See, just you telling me that worries me more. The more you hide all of this from me, Fae, the more I want to know. If it's putting you in danger, I can't let it go. It's not that easy."

"And it's not as easy as just telling you." Elphaba replied harshly. "This is my life, not yours."

"You're my wife!" Fiyero snapped, enraged, "And this is our daughter." He gestured to the cradle. "You should be home with the baby and me, not out doing god knows what."

Elphaba stopped fiddling with her cloak, shocked at the way her husband had yelled at her, shocked at the person she'd become. All at once, she dropped her cloak, gave up changing, sat on the bed and began to cry. "I'm sorry, Fiyero. I'm so sorry. Don't hate me."

He hadn't meant to break her down, only to talk her into informing him of what was going on. Sitting down on the bed himself, he took Elphaba into his arms and stroked her hair. "It's okay. It's okay, Fae. Just tell me and everything will be okay."

She shook her head and looked at him through the tears pooling in her eyes. "I wish."

He picked up her cloak and used it to dry her tears. "I love you no matter what, you know that. You shouldn't feel afraid to tell me things."

"Fiyero, if you were to get involved, I'd put you and Mylana in danger. I can't do that."

"I won't get involved in whatever this is. I just want to know what it is."

"To tell you would be to involve you. It's not something we're allowed to talk about easily."

The infamous "we" again. "Who is 'we', Elphaba? What sort of organization are you in?"

Giving in at least, she said, "Politics."

"That's not so bad."

"Terrorism."

"Okay, maybe it is."

"It's... the Animals, Fiyero. I never told you this, but before you came to Shiz, we had a professor, a Goat, and he was big on Animal rights. His name was Dr. Dillamond."

"What does a Goat have to do with anything?"

"He was my favorite professor. He was murdered." Elphaba said simply. "And he was murdered because of his involvement in Animal rights. I've got to avenge his death, Fiyero. It's not fair that he should've died for nothing. And don't you see? The Animals are being treated unfairly."

"Well, they're not being treated with complete respect, but I don't see why you need to involve yourself..."

"I do, I just do." She cut him off. "But anyone who opposes the Wizard gets killed in this world. This is no democracy. This isn't even a republic. This is a dictatorship under disguise."

Fiyero shrugged. What did politics matter? "Fae, don't put yourself in danger just for..."

"But don't you see?" She cried, helpless. "I'm not only putting me in danger. That's where I've gone wrong. Just by being a part of this, I've put you and Mylana in danger, too."

"What?"

"The Wizard's guards will do anything they have to in order to get to someone, Fiyero, including kill or injure a person's family."

He blinked. He wasn't sure if he should yell, cry, or just hold her. In the end, he chose the latter, kissing her forehead. "I love you, still."

Tears continued to well in her eyes. "Oh, Yero, I'll quit. I'll quit tomorrow. And I'll stay home with you and Mylana. I promise."

"Good," he said, glad she'd made the decision on her own, for he'd begun to wonder if he'd have to force her to decide something. "And I'll take you out for a nice romantic dinner when you come home. How does that sound?"

She smiled, really smiled, for the first time in weeks. "It sounds wonderful."


	12. Chapter 12: Shouldn't

Unfortunately, everything did not turn out "wonderful".

It started with Elphaba being unable to find anyone in the hierarchy of her political group that was of high status enough to accept her request to quit. No one was around. The only people she found were people of her status within the group, and she couldn't officially quit just by leaving them a message to bring to one of the higher officers of the group. So she returned home mid afternoon dreary looking and depressed.

"Fae?" He saw that she was nearing tears from the moment she had walked in the door. "What's wrong?"

She sighed and explained her predicament.

"Well, you were going to and that's all that matters." Fiyero said decidedly. "I'm still taking you for dinner."

She smiled at him weakly. "Wait until tomorrow, when I've officially dropped out of my group."

"I made reservations." He grinned.

She shook her head. "You do too much."

"But we have an hour or two..."

She met the mischievous glance in his eyes and allowed him to push her onto the bed and remove her clothing. They made love for hours, and after Fiyero had bathed and Elphaba had oiled herself, they put the baby to bed and went to dinner.

Elphaba looked around nervously when they sat down and Fiyero asked, "What's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm just worried that someone from my organization will see me here, and we had a meeting tonight."

"Couldn't you have left a note with a friend explaining you were going out to dinner with your husband instead?"

"They'd come looking for me. That's why I'm worried now. We don't skip meetings for anything short of a natural disaster, Fiyero."

"What about a family disaster? Because we were close."

Elphaba hung her head. "They'd rather us not have families. It makes us less of a risk and less likely to back out. I'm ashamed to say this, but I told them I had no family."

Fiyero looked hurt. "Do you really wish it was that way sometimes, Elphie?"

"No. Not at all." She answered, upset that he could even think that way. "I love you and Mylana dearly, Fiyero. You know that. I'm quitting my..." She searched for a word, unsure of what to call her organization when referencing it with Fiyero.

"Terrorist group?"

Elphaba glared. "I guess we'll just called it an activist group, okay?"

"Whatever you want."

"Anyway, as I said, I'm quitting that for you. I wouldn't just give that up if I didn't love you."

"I know."

"I'm sorry," she began.

"I know you are."

"But it wasn't fair to you and it wasn't fair to Mylana, or anyone else. The type of person who should join that sort of activist group should have no family or be willing to give up their family, and I am certainly not willing to do that. I should never have..."

"You wanted to help a group of... citizens..."

"They're not even granted citizenship anymore," Elphaba corrected him.

"Well, a minority, and you were desperate to help. You got caught up in something you didn't mean to and I forgive you for that."

Elphaba wondered to herself if it was too late. What if she was too far in to ever truly get out? Her heart would never be out of it, even if her physical being was. The cause haunted her and she could not just let go. She'd give up fighting for Fiyero and Mylana, but she could not stop herself from caring. Instead of saying so, she only responded, "Thank you."

"Elphaba!" Called a voice from across the dining room.

Elphaba jumped and looked around. A Quadling woman came hurrying up to her. "Sliviria, what's going on?" She searched the room with her eyes, it seemed only her friend had found her, but the rest of the group could be anywhere.

"They're looking for you, and they are mad. Why aren't you at the meeting? They've adjourned the meeting just to look for you!"

"What?" Elphaba began to shake. "Shit. Do they have any idea that I'm here?"

"No. I just happened to pass by."

"Fiyero, we've got to get out of here." Elphaba grabbed Fiyero's hand across the table and began to rise. "We're going home."

"Just go to the meeting."

"Sliviria, I'm quitting. I couldn't find anyone today, but I'm still quitting when I get the chance."

The woman's face was horrified. "No!"

"What? Why not? I'm sorry I won't be there with you, but..."

"It's not that."

Shuddering, Elphaba turned to her friend, "Why shouldn't I quit, then?"

"You can't quit, Elphaba. It's not that easy."

"What do you mean it's not that easy?"

Whispering, the Quadling woman said, "I wanted to get out of this once. Did I ever mention _why_ I'm a widow?"

"Oh, God." Elphaba gulped.

"They killed my family."

Fiyero squeezed Elphaba's hand and said loudly, "Mylana!"

"We're going." Elphaba whisked towards the door.

"If they find you..."

"I don't care if they find me. They can't find my daughter!"

Fiyero was still holding her hand tightly. "Out of here. Now."

Elphaba didn't even wave to her friend. "Right."

When they approached the apartment building, it was quite obvious they were too late. Fire was blazing from the windows of their third story apartment. Elphaba lost her footing and practically collapsed as they moved even nearer.

"I'm going to be sick." Elphaba's eyes began to fade in and out, like she was losing consciousness.

"Elphaba, stay conscious! She may still be in there." Fiyero pulled her along towards the building.

Elphaba tottered along, dizzy from the smoke as they, despite the shouts of the landlord, rushed into the burning building and up the stairs. "Fiyero, I feel faint..."

"Elphaba, not now!"

She brought a hand to her head and tried to see through the smoke. There was no crying from the cradle. Mylana would be crying, wouldn't she? "She's got to be dead, Fiyero." Elphaba said, giving up and almost dropping to the ground.

"No!" Fiyero snapped, holding her up. "You're not falling now. Don't just throw this away."

Her eyes began to water, from tears or smoke, she could no longer tell. Wrenching away from him, she moaned, "Go. Leave. I'll stay. I don't deserve to live."

Fiyero let Elphaba fall back into a chair, deciding he'd get her out once he'd assured to himself that Mylana was not alive and in her cradle. "Fae, she's not dead."

Elphaba stood again, "What?"

"She's not in the cradle."

"She's here somewhere. Maybe she... they kidnaped her!" The realization hit her quickly, along with the sudden will to live. "Fiyero, come on!" She began tugging on his arm, desperate.

He looked at Elphaba from across the cradle. "This is because of..."

"Me." She sighed. "Forget about that right now. We have to get out of here!"

His eyes narrowed. "If you'd told me..."

"Fiyero, it's too late for that! You can hate me later. I just want you to live through this, let's go!" Debris had begun falling around them and she was panicking.

"Fine." He said in monotone, allowing her to drag him towards the stairs.

"Fiyero, have some more will to live. She may be still alive." Elphaba shouted, tearing down the stairs, him just behind her.

As they exited the building, Fiyero tore his arm away from Elphaba and they stood in silence, not touching, as they stood outside with the rest of the tenants and watched the building collapse.

Elphaba felt tears streaming down her face and she knew they weren't just from the terror of losing her daughter, temporarily or not, they were for losing her husband, temporarily or not, too. She let them burn her cheeks, feeling that she deserved whatever pain she was being caused by the disaster, knowing it was her own fault.

After some time, the tenants simpered off to hotels, whining about lost belongings. No one had been hurt, which relieved Elphaba only the slightest bit. Fiyero and Elphaba continued to stand there in silence even after the landlord of the building had found a place to stay.

Fiyero turned to Elphaba, "So, what do we do to get our daughter back, Elphaba?"

"We find the people who did this."

"And where would we find them? After all _you _would know."

She was stung by his coldness, but understood. "Tomorrow, I'll take you."

"And what are you going to do? You can't quit now, or we're all dead."

"I don't have a solution right now!" Elphaba cried. "I don't know the answer to anything."

"Well, let's find somewhere to stay for the night."

He had not said sleep. He had said stay. Somehow that seemed colder. "Fiyero, I'm sorry."

"It's a bit late."

"Fiyero, please."

He whirled around and glared at her. "Our daughter is missing, no thanks to you, Elphaba, and all you can say is that you're sorry?"

"What else is there to say? If you hadn't made me tell you, I'd never have tried to quit and maybe they wouldn't have..."

"Don't even try blaming this on me, you sneaking little..."

"Don't!" She cried, unable to take his insult. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Can you start hating me _after_ we find Mylana?"

"I don't hate you." He said after a moment.

"You sound like it." Elphaba replied.

"I'm just angry."

"You should be. I should be the one trapped with a bunch of cold hearted people." Elphaba said darkly. "I should be in that building, smoldering in the ashes."

"Elphaba..."

"Maybe if I'm lucky they'll kill me."

"If Mylana's gone, you're the only that I love left in this world, Elphaba."

"I don't deserve to be loved."

After taking a deep breath, he said, "You couldn't have known this would happen. And you're right. You were trying to quit, and they came after you. You were trying to get us out of danger, not bring us more. It just didn't work."

"I knew what I was getting into when I joined."

"How long ago did you join?"

"I..." She looked down.

"What?"

"I've been hiding this from you for longer than you think. It just got more demanding lately."

"When did you join this cult of yours?" He demanded.

"Before I met you." She admitted.

"You..."

"Didn't expect to meet the only person in the world who'd love me in a way I never thought possible." She finished. "Well, honestly, I wasn't expecting to love anyone."

"So when you got into it..."

"I didn't think I was putting anyone in danger. But I could've quit when I started dating you. I could've quit when we were married. I could've quit at least when Mylana was born."

"If you had, they'd have come after Mylana and I."

"Not if I was new. If I was new, they wouldn't have cared."

"Baby, to do that, you would've had to quit when we had just started dating. I don't think you exactly expected to marry me."

"I didn't."

"Then you're still innocent." He decided, telling himself and telling her.

"Please don't think I'm innocent. I'm guilty, ever so guilty."

"Guilty, red-handed, innocent, whatever it is you are, I still love you."

"You shouldn't."

He lifted her chin in his sooty hands and looked at her eyes. "But I do."


	13. Chapter 13: Plans

"They're probably torturing her right now." Elphaba was sitting in a lazy chair staring out the window at the darkening violet sky.

"They'd torture a baby?"

"I don't know. I've never seen them in action when it comes to violence."

"You've been part of this for years..."

"But only recently have I been considered mature and loyal enough to participate in the darker, more secret parts of the organization."

Fiyero nodded, sitting comfortably on the hotel bed. "My parents are probably panicking about the fire. I sent a letter home."

"Did you tell them it was your wife's fault?"

"Elphaba, it was not your fault. You wanted out, they didn't want to let you out. How could you have known what you were getting into when this began? And how could you have known that you'd have a daughter to be responsible for, too? As you said, you didn't expect to marry me." He was desperately grasping to make her as innocent in his mind as possible. It was obvious that he was helpless to love her. He couldn't simply hate the direction she'd gone in and hate her for it, too; he loved her too much.

Elphaba hugged herself and whispered, "I'm scared."

"Look, it's getting late and we have an important day tomorrow if we're going to save the baby, so come to bed."

What she saw when she looked into his eyes surprised her. "You still want me?"

"I _need_ you." He replied, taking off his clothes.

"Really?" She walked, hesitant, towards the bed.

"Really." He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto him, laughing. "Now, let's drown our sorrows in an excessively wild and passionate lovemaking session."

"I think I need this, too." She moaned as he ran his hands along her body, removing her dress with his teeth. "Oh, yes."

He'd begun to make love to her already and he felt sweat begin to drip down his body. "Is that the right spot?"

"Just a little further," she cried, losing herself in the feel of his body, the feel of their bodies against one another.

"Like that?"

"Yes!" She screamed, and was lost in his loving as his movements weakened her further.

It was an hour later and twice she'd cried out in ecstacy beneath him, but he was not through. Though the bliss had begun to rise again, she felt herself begin to cry. This alarmed him, and he stopped, worried that perhaps he had hurt her. "Elphaba?"

"What?"

"Are you all right?"

"Fine."

"You're crying." He said.

"Just keep going, love."

"But you're crying."

"Just do it, all right?"

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You're not. You think making love for this long hurts me? You know I'm not that weak. We've had nights of more intense passion than this."

He sighed and continued moving until her voice rose, along with, finally, his, for a third time, and they pushed and pulled at each other until the magic was worn out and they were lying side by side, eyelids drooping. "I know you think I hate you, but I do love you, you know. Even after what's happened, I will always love you." Fiyero reminded her.

She closed her eyes, pretending to sleep, for she was not in the mood for pillow talk or sweet talk. It was too much for her, that he still loved her. It was too much that she wasn't dead. Everything that was left was too much. In her life, she'd had so very little to hold on to, that when she lost one thing, she'd lost everything. But this time it'd been different, for the man she loved was still beside her, even if her daughter was not sleeping peacefully in the cradle. This was unlike what she was used to, and talking would only reveal her incredulity.

Fiyero knew she wasn't sleeping. He considered bothering her until she talked, at last, but he thought she looked so beautiful when she faked sleep that he kissed the top of her head and only hugged her, not surprised to feel her settle her body in next to his the way she only could do if she was awake. "I love you," he whispered again.

The sleeping beauty smile came back again.

The morning was cold and Elphaba was awakened by her own shivering. Fiyero woke on his own, as well, and the two stared at each other, unable to speak, recalling the disaster and simultaneous love that had occurred the previous night. Elphaba blushed lightly when Fiyero looked at her, almost embarrassed by the way she had acted the night before, though he was her husband. He laughed, noticing her unease and kissed her, ready to climb onto her again. "I love you."

She resisted his obvious excitement and gently pulled away. "Get dressed. We have somewhere to go."

He understood at once and dragged himself from the bed, dressing in the clothes he'd worn the day before, for everything else had burned in the fire. It was a good thing his parents would be sending money as soon as they could, for he would need it, as would she, though she didn't require much. "Are we going to retrieve Mylana?"

Elphaba shook her head. "We're going to talk to Sliviria. They took our daughter. They killed her family. Why is our situation different? What did she do? Maybe she knows something that can help us."

Though he was disappointed, he saw her logic and agreed to go along. The woman lived only blocks away, it turned out, and she lived in a house by herself. When Elphaba and Fiyero entered, it was obvious that more people had lived there, once.

Elphaba commented, "Well, I see they didn't burn down your house when you wanted to quit."

"They did what?"

"They kidnaped our daughter and burned down our apartment building."

Sliviria's mouth hung open. "How do you know they didn't...?"

"We made it back to the building in time to run in, dangerous as it may have been. She wasn't there."

"So you think they have her?"

"I would assume so."

"What would they do that for?" The woman wondered aloud. "They have no use for her. What could they threaten you for? There's nothing you have that they want."

"They want me to stay."

"Well, yes, but killing her would have done as much good as kidnaping her, if not more. If they'd killed her, you'd have had nothing left."

"But that's not true. I would still have had my husband." Elphaba pointed out.

"Perhaps that's it."

"So, what exactly happened that you lost your family?"

"I had a husband a two twin boys." Sliviria began. "And I loved them dearly."

Elphaba squeezed Fiyero's hand. "I can imagine."

Sliviria gave them a slightly pained smile and continued. "After a while, I began to miss spending more time at home with my boys. I wanted to get out of the organization and be with my family."

"I guess that's the reason for most people." Elphaba said.

"Anyway, I told leader Yackle that and she seemed to take it very well. She asked me to come to one last meeting so I could, you know, say goodbye. When I got home..." The Quadling woman began to cry.

"Oh, don't." Elphaba patted her shoulder comfortingly. "It's hard, I know."

"I'll never forgive myself."

"You didn't know." Fiyero said, helpfully.

"I didn't, but I should've. I knew what they were like. I should've known better."

Elphaba sighed. "Me, too."

Fiyero looked at both women and simply shook his head. "You women just can't get rid of guilt, can you?"

Elphaba smiled weakly and turned back to Sliviria. "Did they leave the bodies?"

"They'd been stabbed repeatedly. They'd died slowly. There was no doubt of that, not at all. They didn't want there to be. They wanted to make it clear that it would be me next if I didn't come back."

"And what choice would you have? There was nothing left." Elphaba realized.

"Exactly."

"Why do they need us so much?"

"It's not that they need us, Elphaba. Don't let that even cross your mind. It's that they can't risk us turning to the wrong side."

"Even if we hate the 'wrong' side?"

"If you're tortured..."

She nodded. "And the 'wrong' side could do the same thing to us that our side has done. They could kill our families to make us give things up."

"Right. And I guess our organization is too smart to risk that. It's too dangerous."

"_That's_ too dangerous? Joining this damned organization was too dangerous!" Elphaba said heatedly.

"I know." Sliviria said solemnly.

Elphaba and Fiyero looked at each other and then Elphaba said. "So, what will I have to do to get my daughter back?"

"I have no idea. They'll probably make you promise to stay."

"There's no getting out of this."

"None."

Elphaba shivered and Fiyero slid his arm around her. She turned to him. "We have no choice. I have to stay."

Fiyero was unhappy with this, but saw that there was no other solution. "We'll find a way to work this all out, Fae. We will."

She sighed. "I hope so."

Sliviria said. "I hope so, for your sake. I don't want to see you lose what I lost."

"How long ago did this happen? I mean, Sliviria, you're not much older than I."

"A year."

Elphaba shuddered, feeling the woman's pan. "I am so sorry."

"Don't be sorry for me. It's my own fault."

"Don't say that." Fiyero said, knowing that another round of guilt would do no one any good at all.

"I can't help but feel that..."

"I know." Elphaba said quietly.

"You have a chance to get your daughter back. Save her. But from there, I don't know what to tell you to do."

"Would they try hard to find us if we ran?"

"I don't know, it's never happened before."

"Never?"

"Not that I know of."

Fiyero watched Elphaba's face change. "We could run to Kiamo Ko." He suggested.

"You'd never finish college, nor would I." Elphaba said sadly.

"We'd be safe."

"We can't guarantee that." Elphaba argued.

"But the chances are better for us."

"Can we finish college first?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know? Fiyero, if you don't finish college, you might not be able to run the economy of Kiamo Ko anyway."

"By then, though, you'll be so immersed in this, you may want to stay."

"I could never choose anything over you, Fiyero."

This cheered him considerably. "Then a year from now, we run."

"We can't tell our plans to anyone." Elphaba looked at Sliviria as she said this.

"Don't worry. I will keep this quiet."

Elphaba hugged the woman. "Thank you."

"At least I'll have you around for another year or so."

Fiyero tugged Elphaba towards the door, waving at Sliviria. "We've got to get our daughter back."

"Yeah," Elphaba agreed, "we should do that about now."


End file.
